WESTVILLE – Everyone has jars of change lying around the house, and a Westville man is hoping county residents will band together and donate their pennies to honour local veterans.
Art Sinclair is the chairperson of the Honour Roll Fundraising Project, a penny campaign to raise funds for the Pictou County Military Museum. He’s hoping to raise 2,000 pounds worth of coins for the museum, which recognizes Pictou County’s military heroes.
“We want to gather enough coins to equal 2,000 pounds to show a ton of support to honour Canada’s war veterans and peacekeepers,” said Sinclair.
The project started when Sinclair brought a jar of his own spare change down to the museum.
“Every little bit helps,” he said. “I had this change sitting around the house for the longest time and I called them to see if they’d like it. It ended up being $26 – it might not have been the biggest donation they’ve ever received, but it’s certainly the heaviest.”
It won’t take long to add up the money to reach a ton, he added. One roll of pennies weighs just over four ounces, he said, which could quickly add up if each person in Pictou County chipped in just 10 cents to reach the $5,000 goal.
“Of course, we’re hoping to see a little more shine than the dullness of copper,” he added. “You can save a lot of money just by collecting a few coins. It’s a good way to honour the peacekeepers and all the people who fought in all of the wars. This area is so deeply steeped in military history, I think it’s something we should do for them.”
He plans to approach local businesses to see if they’ll help out with the campaign, which is just getting off the ground. For now, he says, anyone who would like to donate their change can bring it to the museum in Westville or call Vincent Joyce, curator of the museum, at 695-5596 for more information.
