Dear Members and Friends of the Cavalla Historical Foundation,
2009 has been a challenging year of recovery from Hurricane Ike at Seawolf Park. We would like to thank each of you who contributed to our special Hurricane Ike recovery fund raising. We received support from people around the globe who recognized the value of continuing what was started in 1998 to restore the USS CAVALLA and USS STEWART and continue our purpose of educating the public about these ships and the role they played . The American Undersea Warfare Center visitor’s center will not only educate the public , but it will continue to honor and remember the brave sailors who served on these and other ships.
During this recovery phase, The Stewart was floated back into position, volunteers did a great deal of salvage work on the ships to make them accessible to the public once again and under the direction and able leadership of our Curator/COB John McMichael. The displays were reopened to the public in the early summer.
The Memorial Plaza has been repaired, interior spaces on the Cavalla and the Stewart have been retiled. Two periscopes were repaired at the Periscope shop of the Kings Bay submarine base and are back ready to be installed.
Work goes on every day to enhance the visitors experience, but we need your continued assistance to keep going. Please take time to consider making a donation to Cavalla Historical Foundation today. We need to raise funds to rent the crane service necessary to replace the periscopes, to provide storm surge protection for the ships and prevent the Hurricane Ike type catastrophe from happening to the ships again. The Board of Directors is working hard to provide solutions to these and the many other projects, but it takes dedicated volunteers to work on the vessels, and Donors who have the vision and love of the history of these ships to supply the funding to keep us going. We hope that you will contribute either as a volunteer on the ships or by supporting our work financially.
During the past year, we lost founding Board Member Capt. Zeb Alford, his zeal and energy in promoting CHF and our work will be greatly missed. We are accepting donation in his name to carry on his vision.
The upkeep and maintenance of these ships are funded solely by a share of the gate receipts and by private donations. Your continued support is necessary to complete the restoration of the ships and to build the Visitors Center.
Please visit our website at
www.cavalla244.org and you can make an online donation at the paypal link using paypal or credit cards.
CHF is also on Facebook, this page will keep you up to date on activities, volunteer work days and the achievements and accomplishments at Seawolf Park. If you are a Facebook user, just type in Cavalla Historical Foundation.
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is fully tax-exempt. Please consider a generous gift to help complete the restorations and build the Undersea Warfare Center. We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you on board
Sincerely,
Grady HarrisonPresident and CEO
John can always use volunteers at the park. We have two rebuilt periscopes to be installed. In order to do that we need to get in and clean up the bearings etc. So if you can help just contact John McMichael at macm at airmail.net
Also there is a special reunion work week and bash in August, 9-16. Lets see how many of the original volunteers we can get to come done and see the difference from the early days and put in some man hours continuing the restorations. And how many new volunteers will join in. Some bunking is available on ships. Dave Stoops is taking the list of those coming so we can send out detailed information as the dates approach.
Administrator
CHF
