Almost $30,000 Raised to Repair New Lenox Veterans Memorial Damaged by Vandal

LincolnWay Community Bank gave $2,694.50 to VFW Post 9545 to help pay for repairs to the Veterans Memorial in the New Lenox Commons damaged recently by a vandal. VFW Post 9545 has collected a little more than $29,000 as of Friday.

The bank, 1000 E. Lincoln Highway, sent about 1,000 emails to customers seeking donations. Bank chairman Terry Ruettiger is a veteran and he presented the bank’s donation along with his own and those of its customers.

“Sad thing ... you think of all the lives who were affected by the memorial,” Post Cmdr. Paul Barclay said. “A lot of sacrifices that were involved in those memorials. It’s not just the soldier or the sailor, it’s the families that sacrificed.”

A homeless man, Brian Sundstrom, 26, was arrested and charged with felony criminal damage to state-supported property. Fixing the damaged memorial could cost up to $50,000.

» reported by Erin Gallagher, via Sun-Times Media