A 15-year-old decided his hometown needed a veterans memorial, so he raised $77K to build one

Dominique Claseman from Olivia, Minnesota, came to the Olivia City Council as a 15-year-old to discuss his plan to build a veterans memorial in his hometown. He even had architect drawings with him and space already picked out.

It was a huge project, but he was confident that people in the community would want to donate to something like it.

Two years later, his vision finally became a reality.

On Memorial Day, hundreds of people gathered for the dedication of the new veterans memorial in Olivia, completed by Dominique as his Eagle Scout project a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday.“The memorial before you is the result of the generosity and support that I, and the veterans of community, have received,” the young man said in his speech.

Ron Kopacek, who headed up the dedication’s honor guard, was impressed by how Dominique managed to do it.

“Fifteen years old, sophomore in high school, he’s going to raise $12,000 to $15,000 we’re thinking, ‘What? Really?’”But the dedicated teen said he questions himself on how he even did it sometimes.

Dominique started the project by distributing information sheets, doing interviews with the local radio station and newspaper, and setting up a table to pitch it during events at the Olivia American Legion.

As donations and purchases of engraved pavers exceeded his expectations, he expanded his initial concept of what the memorial could be.Dominique’s original fundraising goal was $12,000 to $15,000, but he ended up raising a little more than $77,000.

Dominique, who comes from a long line of service members, requested for his dad, scoutmaster Mark Jurgensen, who served in Iraq, to wear his combat boots to mark 21 footprints on the memorial’s wet cement.4

Related Posts

Sad news: 1 hour ago, in Los Angeles, California At the age of 53, Snoop Dogg announced in tears…

In a heartbreaking announcement that has left fans in shock, legendary rapper and entertainer Snoop Dogg shared devastating news earlier today. The 53-year-old icon tearfully revealed the…

Not just a political figure: Charlie Kirk remembered as a loving father in emotional TV clip

Just weeks before his shocking assassination in Utah, Charlie Kirk was seen embracing his young daughter on live television in a resurfaced video that has devastated supporters….

“Before Leaving the Plane, the Pilot Notices One Last Passenger Who Looks Exactly Like Him – Story of the Day”

Before leaving the plane he had just landed, Captain Edward Blair noticed a lone passenger who refused to leave. To his shock, the man looked exactly like…

People are losing their jobs after celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination

The shockwaves from Charlie Kirk’s assassination are now hitting ordinary people — and some are paying with their jobs, according to reports. The backlash has swept up…

Nurse suspended after calling out doctor who allegedly “cheered” Charlie Kirk killing

A New Jersey nurse says she was punished for speaking out against a doctor who allegedly celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and now…

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER U KNOW IT

Our stunning star is living proof that beauty does not fade with time—it evolves. She shows us that being older isn’t about losing spark; it’s about gaining…