The Positive Voices

Shelly Lubbinge, Executive Administrator for the Spirit of Solidarity National Labor Monument located within footsteps of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum says raising the last $230,000 of the $1.35 million project has proved to be the most difficult. “We started fundraising in April 2001, then we got hit with the 9/11 crises and recession. It was hard but we raised almost one million dollars. The monument was dedicated three years ago, this April, but we had to take out loans to complete the work. Now, we’ve been hit by an even worse recession.” Under her tutelage, the Society has become adept at all kinds of fundraisers in the last three years, six golf tournaments raising from $9,000-$20,000, a Texas Hold-Em, several fifty-fifty raffles, an automobile raffle, and one for a Harley Davidson motorcycle. “She has been a masterful and dedicated organizer and fundraiser. This monument would not have happened without her,” says Jay Egan Chair of the Monument Committee. A portion of the proceeds from one Griffins Hockey game every year is set aside for the monument. The Labor Day ads edition of the Grand Valley Labor News every year brings in some revenue amounting to a few thousand over the years. Yet the one fundraiser that will pay for everything and more is the commemorative brick pavers lining the four walkways leading to the fountain and the three larger than life size bronze statues of the heroic 1911 furniture strikers.   According to Labor Heritage Society of West Michigan Director Michael Johnston there are still approximately 3,460 bricks remaining for donors to purchase and carve their messages for all time. At $100 a brick this would wipe out all remaining debt, says Lubbinge. “I have four already and every time a grand child comes along, we add another brick,” brags an obviously proud new step-grandpa Johnston. Belden Brick, the local Westside Company provided the bricks for the monument and provides the craftsman to engrave them. Using a special process involving sandblasting, and a rubber mat stencil, the skilled engraver drapes the individual brick with the mat and skillfully etches a personal message deep into the rough surface of the brick. Hardened paver bricks of this sort commonly last longer than 100 years. “I would love to have the 15 bronze tree and concrete and bronze master plaque of donors installed for the 100th anniversary of the Great Furniture Strike on April 19, 2011,” says a wistful Lubbinge. The Society has also experimented with the latest form of hi-tech fundraising asking friends of the monument to use “GoodSearch” instead of “Google” when they do their on-line researching. The Society asks people to get into the habit of typing Goodsearch.com” and typing in “Labor Heritage Society of West Michigan” as choice for charitable organization. Each search generates a penny, says Johnston, who came up with the idea several years ago. “Unfortunately, we’ve not done a good job of getting the word out. With about 60,000 area union members and their families, that could be a nice chunk-a-change.” Download the Donation Form to Help Today!