$10,000 Donation from Enel Moves Dover Veterans Memorial Closer to Construction
(York, PA) The long-anticipated Dover Veterans Memorial at the new Dover High School is moving closer to construction thanks to a $10,000 donation from Enel North America.
After first being announced in 2019, projected labor and materials costs for the memorial soared during the pandemic, but after a two-year forced pause, members of the Dover Veterans Memorial Committee and the Dover Eagle Foundation pressed ahead with fundraising efforts. They are now in the process of evaluating what materials or other items from the original plans might be modified a bit to help align their current donation resources with the needed budget to break ground for the project.
"Not all projects have done so well emerging from the pandemic," observes Brad Jacobs, General Chairman, Dover High School Veterans Memorial Committee, "I am very pleased with what we have accomplished post-pandemic, including this generous recent contribution from Enel. We are grateful to the entire community, participating businesses, foundations, and all the veterans who have been very supportive since the project was first proposed.”
While serving its primary purpose as an enduring tribute to the many brave men and women who served in the Armed Forces, the planned Veterans Memorial will also serve as
a resource for district teachers in various subject matters. First and foremost, the memorial will be an important asset in history and civics education as well as a central gathering and reflection space for the community.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Dover Eagle Foundation and Veterans Memorial Committee on this community project to honor all the veterans who have valiantly served our nation,” said Enel Development Manager Jared Foreman. “We look forward to seeing the memorial come to fruition as an important local resource that can foster civic pride and engagement for both young and old.”
The Dover Eagle Foundation’s Veterans Memorial Plaza will be an enduring tribute to the many brave men and women who served in the armed forces while also serving as an educational resource and quiet reflection space for teachers and students. To highlight the importance of the plaza project, the Eagle Foundation points to a 2020 Brookings Institution study that found that many Americans lack basic civic knowledge, with 1 in 4 adults unable to name the three branches of government. The Veterans Memorial Plaza will help promote the understanding of public service and the importance of civic engagement so desperately needed today.
The $10,000 grant is provided by Enel North America, the developer of the 75 MW Dover Solar Project in York County, which is expected to produce enough carbon-free electricity to power 12,000 local Pennsylvania households. The Dover Solar Project is also expected to create many local benefits, including local jobs, increased local spending, steady income for landowners, and new tax revenue for schools and public services.
Additional donations are still needed to help launch the memorial project and support its ongoing maintenance. Interested members of the public and local businesses are encouraged to visit www.dovereaglefoundation.com/veterans-memorial to participate.
The Dover Eagle Foundation was founded in 2009 as a non-profit 501©(3) organization to offer grants to the Dover Area School District, its teachers, or administrators for projects for the classroom, instructional, or other educational needs of the Dover Area School District or to supplement or enhance the educational programs and activities of the Dover Area School District for the benefit of its qualified students.
Enel North America, part of the Enel Group, is a clean energy leader in North America and is working to electrify the economy and build a net-zero carbon future by decarbonizing energy supply, electrifying transportation, creating resilient grids, and promoting a just, equitable transition. Enel North America serves over 4,500 businesses, utilities, and cities through renewable power generation, demand response, distributed energy resources, smart e-mobility solutions and services, energy trading, advisory and consulting services, and more. Its portfolio includes over 9.7 GW of utility-scale renewable capacity, 606 MW / 910 MWh of utility-scale energy storage and 76 MW / 174 MWh of distributed energy storage capacity, 4.7 GW of demand response capacity, and 170,000 electric vehicle charging ports. Visit enelnorthamerica.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube to learn more.
