Bannock County veterans running out of time to raise money for historic memorial building repairs
Sam Ross
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association is trying to raise $100,000 by the end of August to qualify for a matching donation, which would help the veterans repair flood damage to the historic Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building.
In December 2024, flooding in an upstairs bathroom severely damaged the nearly 100-year-old Memorial Building’s ballroom before leaking to lower levels, soaking walls, and washing up other issues, which now need repair.
“[A restoration company] wound up peeling up the whole floor,” said Bud Smalley, veteran of the US Marine Corps and member of the Marine Corps League and Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association. “They had to mitigate for the lead paint that was found on all of the baseboard; there’s also some mold that they found downstairs. Long story short, the bill is $325,000 that we don’t have.”
After being handed the bill, the Veterans Memorial Association started seeking donations and was met with contributions from local businesses, including $5,000 from Idaho Power and nearly $11,000 from Phil Meador Subaru. Local people also pitched in amounts ranging from 50 cents to $1,000.
In March, an anonymous organization sent a check to the Veterans Memorial Building for $100,000, with a promise to send another $100,000 if the veterans could match the funding with donations by the end of August.
So far, the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association has raised $43,000, and they are asking people in the area to reach into their hearts and wallets to help them make the remaining money before their deadline at the end of summer.
“This building was built in 1926 by the citizens of Pocatello and Bannock County, specifically for veterans of Pocatello and Bannock County and the surrounding area,” said Smalley. “It’d just be a shame if, because of this misfortune, we wind up losing this building–we need to repair it.”
Donations for the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Building can be sent to their address at 300 N Johnson Ave, Pocatello, ID 83204. Links to the Bannock County Veterans Memorial Association Venmo, Angelink, and GoFundMe accounts can be found on their website.