This is your chance to make a big impact on the Bong Center! Our Board Chairman, Terry Lundberg, is once again issuing his Chairman's Challenge to participants of this year's event. These funds have been critical to our fundraising efforts.

This year, Terry has agreed to match all donations to the Chairman's Challenge up to $50,000! Your donation can have a significant impact due to these matching funds.

Support the Bong Squadron Program

Goal: $8,500

The Bong Squadron Program will be in its 3rd year in 2021. This program engages high school students to provide our Heavy Metal Tours during the summer months. Through this program, the students gain valuable experience in public speaking and interpretive techniques through part-time seasonal work. To date, students have provided tours to over 1,300 visitors in two seasons. With each tour, the students become more confident in their abilities and knowledge of the tour content, which leads to a better visitor experience. It has also allowed the students to have a greater appreciation of history and veterans.

Support our Virtual Learning Curriculum

Goal: $3,000

Due to COVID-19, many of our area schools will not be able to take a field trip to visit the Center during the 2020-2021 school year. To adjust to this and provide content for local educators, Center staff has begun pulling together virtual learning curriculum focused on short video segments relating to an artifact or exhibit. These videos maintain our connection to educators and students whether they are in a classroom or distance learning setting. Recording of the initial video set began in October with more videos to be added throughout the rest of the school year and beyond.

Support our Oral History Program

Goal: $5,000

Oral histories are an important tool for the Center to collect veteran stories. Without this program, many veteran stories would be lost and it would be more difficult to relate artifact, exhibits, and programs to military service without the personal perspective. At this time, we are able to record audio oral histories only unless capturing the interview via Zoom. To enhance our program, the Center would like to purchase equipment that will allow for video recording of interviews and get better audio clarity. This will make for better oral histories and expand the range of options available to utilize the information collected through exhibits and programs.

Support New Programming Initiatives

Goal: $5,000

At the heart of the Center's mission is education and outreach. To expand our programming reach and attract new audiences to the Center, staff plan to implement new programs that will be available virtually and in-person. Programs will include speaker programs focused on exhibit content and general military history, outdoor programming in our local communities that allow attendees to visualize the important of places in history, and developing a new family program series to introduce them to the Center and expand our audience reach.