A RECENT donation of $5,000 by the Mooroopna Masonic Lodge is the first step to helping the Rotary Club of Mooroopna members realise their dream of a $200,000 upgrade to the Mooroopna War Memorial.
Having been given the $5,000 by Freemasons Victoria, the local masonic lodge chose to donate it toward the memorial upgrade as they believed it was a worthy cause.
The upgrade will include adding pathways leading to and up a ramp and down on the eastern side of the WWI memorial and will lead to a newly installed nurse memorial and beyond. Travelling east along the pathway will be ‘display walls’ constructed with Digi Glass that will be home to photographs and the names of WWII veterans.
North east of the current cenotaph will be a raised area for speakers on ANZAC Day with three flag poles.
Mooroopna Masonic Lodge master, Ted Davis said, “There is no recognition of WWII or later veterans and we think that they deserve to be honoured.”
Rotary Club of Mooroopna past presidents, Barry Campbell and Les Young said, “It is going to cost $200,000. We have applied for a grant of $80,000 through Victoria Remembers, which we will find out close to ANZAC Day if we are successful in obtaining that. If we secure that, Greater Shepparton City Council has said they would provide $20,000 and we have already had a further $30,000 from some of the Rotary Club of Mooroopna members and $5,000 from the RSL.
“We are accepting donations from the wider community to help us see this project brought to life.
“We hope to get it off the ground and ready by ANZAC Day 2020.”
