Vets seek surplus campaign money

Jace Radke

Friday, Oct. 16, 1998 | 11:29 a.m.

Veterans in Politics is hoping that the candidates they have endorsed for the Nov. 3 election will run their campaigns under budget.

VIP is asking that candidates that have extra campaign money in their coffers consider making a donation to Operation Godspeed, a project to build a chapel at the Veterans Cemetery, 1900 Buchanan Blvd., in Boulder City.

The group made the announcement at its political endorsement meeting at the Flamingo Library Thursday afternoon.

"We ask all candidates to think about donating a portion of their leftover campaign funds to Operation Godspeed so that the veterans will have a chapel at their cemetery," Ed Gobel, chairman of VIP, said. "We have promises from gubernatorial candidate Kenny Guinn and state Senate candidate Jack Close."

Ground has been broken for the chapel, which will cost $1.2 million, said Christine Milburn, who is heading up the project.

"We have most of the funding in place, but we are about $200,000 short of our goal," Milburn said. "We got some promises today which was a nice, unexpected development."

Candidate for District 1 Congress Shelley Berkley, who along with Guinn and Close was endorsed by VIP, said she would definitely consider making a donation to the project.

Milburn said that donations can also be made to the chapel by purchasing black granite plaques that will form the walkway and the wall of the chapel.

"The plaques will have the donor's name and a saying that they have chosen," Milburn said.

The walkway will be the called the "Walk of Life," while the wall will be known as the "Wall of Life."

The cost for a plaque on the walkway ranges from $100 to $1,000, while spots on the wall can cost up to $200,000.