BROCKTON ENTERPRISE STORY ON DEDICATION



BOSTON GLOBE PIECE ON PLAQUE DEDICATION



BROCKTON ENTERPRISE PLAQUE DEDICATION PREVIEW

Military Mom Angela Lashley has an important mission this holiday season. Her son's safe return from war and devoted service to his country keeps her inspired to help other soldiers and their families. She recently participated in a podcast interview describing her goals to spread the blue star movement across the nation in order to keep the spirit of soldier appreciation alive. Please visit her Web-site sobravesong.com. You can listen to her interview by CLICKING HERE.

The final design (see above rendering) for Tony's plaque has been approved. The mounting of the plaque will happen on Memorial Day, 2011. There will be more details on the accompanying dedication ceremony in the near future.

We will soon feature posters of the plaque design rendering. The sale of these posters and framed prints will support a college fund for Anthony's son Marcus which we will be opening in Tony's honor through our new non-proft: MEMORIALS FOR HEROES, INC..

Right now we are seeking funding for the 501(c)(3) paperwork for Memorials For Heroes, which will cost around $1,000. This will make accepting donations much easier and will be backdated for the date of the non-profit's inception (which was this past May). So, all donations will still qualify for tax deductible status, even those we get before we file the paperwork. A company called Charity Net is going to do the paperwork for us, and this will cost around $400 with a $450-$850 IRS fee to be paid above and beyond the paperwork fee.

Tony will live on through this scholarship and his plaque. He will also live on through this blog and through his story being told by word of mouth. He will be a role model for future generations, and the legacy of his good deeds will put his young son through college if we are successful. This is the perfect way to honor his sacrifice above and beyond ackowledging it with the plaque.

The following video is a tribute to Anthony Palermo, Jr., who is the inspiration for MemorialsForHeroes.Com and our Non-Profit Corporation Memorials For Heroes, Incorporated.

This tribute took place at the Battle of the Badges II (http://www.battleofthebadges.info/) event earlier this year and could not have come together without the generous support of Norwich University and President Richard W. Schneider. Special thanks to the promoters of the Battle of the Badges II event, the Palermo family, and Steve Martin with http://bpositiveproject.com/.

With the Battle of the Badges II Now in the books, we would like to update everyone on the funds raised for the plaque. So far, we have received right under $1,000, and here are the donors who have helped us get there:

TONY'S NORWICH FRIENDS:

Jamie LaValley: $500
Ray Murray: $300
Jeffrey Sharpe: $250
Brent Eysenbach
Steve Gagner
John Tesh


Norwich University President Richrd Schneider also donated to the effort and marshalled the school's communication resources to get the word out about this event. Special thanks to all the folks at Norwich who helped out. We have been getting calls the last few days from all corners of the Earth about Tony and this effort.

One company stepping up in a big way to help is bpositiveproject.com and their Founder/Creator Steve Martin.

Steve is offering a chance for anyone buying his products to donate a portion of of the proceeds to Tony's fund:

http://bpositiveproject.com/2010/04/25/remembering-a-true-american-hero-anthony-palermo-b-positive-project-com/


Special thanks also to Angel F. Ortiz, another major plaque donor who provided $100 for the effort. Also, Colonel Robert Tripp, Tony's Army JROTC Teacher at Brockton High School provided $100.

Once the plaque and dedication ceremony is paid for, we will still keep the site up and collect donations for a scholarship in Tony's honor that will be given to a local High School student. We are working directly with NEW ENGLAND WARRIOR to co-promote our commong goals and get over the last hurdle to get Tony's plaque paid for.

Stay tuned for a replay of the Battle of the Badges II event tribute, a slideshow, and information on the next event.

We will provide more details on the dedication ceremony in the future, and we will try to plan new events in the future to keep Tony's memory alive and raise capital for his fund.

Thanks to everyone who showed up specifically for Tony's Tribute, and please feel free to leave suggestions and ideas for future events in the comment section here.

We truly want this site and this effort to be a living and active memorial for Tony that is everlasting and forever allows people the opprtunity to learn more about him and his bravery. We also registered www.memorialsforheroes.com to explore doing more of this type of work for local heroes of all types, from every walk of life.

The reception Tony's tribute generated was motivating and inspiring, and I know he would be proud to be associated with recognizing the selfless actions of hereoes everywhere.