Donors needed to help Cicero Parks purchase 50-foot flagpole

By EMILY PEARSON
Cicero Friends of the Park

The Cicero Parks Department is looking to purchase a 50-foot flagpole and install it near the water’s edge in Red Bridge Park. Our intent would be to fly a 10-by-15-foot flag on a daily basis, and to fly an oversized flag on holidays.

On holidays, the American Legion currently puts out many flags throughout downtown and across the causeway. It is quite an impressive sight if you have never seen it! We are hoping to make this flag visible from the causeway and across the lake. We will light the flagpole with high-quality ground lights for added visibility at night. It is our intent for this to become a statement piece in our community.

The list below is some of the costs for this project.

• $14,760: flag
• $2,000: lighting
• $4,000: concrete and seating area yet to be determined (approximate cost)
• $2,000: signage, advertising, promotions, overage costs
• Total: $22,760

We have tentative commitments from the following.

• American Legion: $5,000
• Cicero Friends of the Park: $7,100
• Private Donor: $3,000
• Total: $15,100

As you can see, we are still substantially short of our goal, but we are working to raise additional funds for this project. If we can raise the funds in a timely manner, we will try to get the pole and lights installed as soon as possible. We will then look for and plan for a dedication ceremony. Our intent is to have signage at the flagpole site naming donors and contributions.

Thank you for your consideration and any help you can give us. Cicero Friends of the Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax deductible.

Keep in touch with Cicero Friends of the Park at Facebook.com/cfotp and at cfotp.org.