Local union makes donation to Veterans Memorial

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Over the years, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union has held a Christmas party.

Jeff McConnell of the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hands a check to Erwin Leeper of the local committee overseeing the Veterans Memorial in South Hutchinson along with committee members Zach Wilder and Kelly Danyluk.

For many of those years, the organization collected donations through activities and provided those funds to various entities. Most recently, donations were collected for Toys for Tots.

This year, however, the union decided to go a different direction. Thanks to the generosity of their members, the organization presented a check for $3,235 to the Veterans Memorial fund. The money will go toward the final phase of the memorial being built in South Hutchinson.

Jeff McConnell, labor recruiter for the IBEW, talked about the inspiration behind the donation:

The memorial is in the third and final phase, which is the erection of the granite panels that will bear the names of 1,500 Reno County veterans.