Nation’s First Tribute Bell Tower Honoring Veterans to Be Installed in Rising Sun, Indiana

Heart of America Sets Tone to Honor our Past, Present and Future Military Heroes

RISING SUN, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rising Sun, Indiana may only be a few miles long, but this town of 2,400 is making a grand effort in honor of our nation’s military. On April 4 and 5, the town celebrates the arrival and installation of the nation’s first Veterans Tribute Bell Tower –including a custom-cast, bronze bell weighing 250 pounds. The bell, a unique way to honor past, present and future veterans, will be poured, cast and installed for the entire community to experience.

The Verdin Company will use its one of a kind “Bell Foundry on Wheels,” a special on-site casting process in which the community helps create the custom bronze bell. Before the cast is made, more than 900 students from Rising Sun’s only school will take part in an ‘ingot brigade’ loading 500 pounds of bronze ingots into the 2200 degree furnace. “We hope this event will help our children understand the importance of honoring our military service men and women,” says Rising Sun’s Mayor Bill Marksberry. “This bell will be a voice for our community in our tributes to honor past, current and future veterans.” This is a historic event for a town already rich in history. Rising Sun, founded in 1814, is located in Ohio County one of the five smallest counties in the United States.

The Verdin Company based in Cincinnati, Ohio was founded in 1842 and is one of the oldest family-owned companies in America, spanning six generations. The Verdin family is committed to helping the military and their families, and created the Veterans Tribute Towers as a way to enable communities across the nation to say thanks to their veterans. For each tower sold, Verdin plans to donate a portion of revenue generated to the Commission on the Future of America’s Veterans, a Washington-based nonprofit formed in June 2006 to address the staggering challenges facing 21^st century veterans. “The 30-foot tall tower stands as a lasting tribute to veterans,” says Jim Verdin, president of The Verdin Company. “It’s also an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to veterans in honor of their selfless service to our nation.”

Sammy Davis, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War is one of the honored guests for this event. More than 40 years ago, Davis repeatedly risked his life to save his comrades. He is one of only 105 Medal of Honor recipients still living.

Retired Air Force Col. Kurt Lohide, former commander of the 435th Air Base Wing at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Rising Sun native, will also be honored. During Col. Lohide’s distinguished 28 year career, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross while participating in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. As the wing commander in Ramstein, Col. Lohide was involved in the repatriation of journalist Jill Carroll following her release from captivity in Iraq.

The two-day Tribute Bell Tower celebration involves the entire community and includes an ingot parade, loading of the bronze ingots, bell pouring and casting. On Saturday, April 5, the town will watch as the bell mold is broken with a large sledgehammer exposing the customized bronze bell for all to see. The Veterans Tribute Bell Tower is made possible by the city of Rising Sun and the Rising Sun Regional Foundation.

Tribute Bell Tower Installation Timeline:

Friday, April 4, 2008
8 a.m.		Ingot Parade: More than 900 local students and area veterans will load 500 pounds of bronze ingots into furnace
2 p.m.		Stack cores and create bell mold
6 p.m.		Bell pouring and casting
Saturday, April 5, 2008
9 a.m.		Bell breakout, grind and polish
Noon		Placement of wreaths
12:30		Caledonia Bagpipers from Cincinnati perform
2 p.m.		Formal Dedication
2:30 p.m.		Wreath drop from plane
2:45 p.m.		First bell ringing by Indiana Veterans

Bell Facts:

• The furnace can turn 500 pounds of bronze into molten liquid in two to three hours
• Each bell weighs 250 pounds
• The bell will ring with the musical note “E”
• Bronze metal is a combination of 80 percent copper and 20 percent tin
• The largest swinging bell in the world is a Verdin Bell—the World Peace Bell in Newport, Ky. It weighs 66,000 pounds and is 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

Rising Sun, Indiana is:

• 45 minutes from Cincinnati,OH
• 85 minutes from Louisville, KY
• 85 minutes from Indianapolis, IN

Rising Sun’s Veterans Tribute Tower To Honor American Veterans

Organizations Unite to Raise Funds for Strategic Plan

(RISING SUN, Ind.) — When Rising Sun Mayor Bill Marksberry was growing up, the community used to have a Memorial Service near the Ohio river to honor veterans, followed by a parade march to the county courthouse. Now, Rising Sun’s civic leaders are bringing back a bit of that history with a special, new twist to honor U.S. veterans for many years to come.

On April 4 and 5, the nation’s first Veterans Tribute Tower will be installed in Rising Sun. The Tribute Tower honors all the men and women who serve or who have served our country in the Armed Forces. The Veterans Tribute Tower is a project of the Veterans Coalition, the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans and The Verdin Company. The three organizations are partnering to honor American veterans and to raise funds for a new strategic plan that includes a long-term initiative for the health and well-being of veterans.

“We’re proud to be the first in the U.S. It’s just the right thing to do,” said Marksberry. “The city had no monument or designated area for our veterans. What better way to honor our veterans than to put one up on our beautiful riverfront.”

The Rising Sun, Ind., bell tower is just one of many Veterans Tribute Towers to be installed throughout the United States in the next 18 months. The Verdin Company prefabricates the tower, puts in the clocks and then utilizes its one-of-a kind mobile foundry to build each commemorative bell on site. This Verdin Bell Foundry on Wheels is a special, on-site casting in which the community helps create the custom bronze bell. The two-day Rising Sun community event includes an “ingot parade,” loading of the bronze ingots, bell pouring and casting, breaking of the mold, grinding and polishing the bell, and a formal dedication. Other activities honoring veterans are also scheduled.

One of the unique aspects of the on-site casting is the community participation. More than 900 students from Rising Sun’s schools will participate in an “ingot parade” and help load the ingots into the furnace. “Every child can help make it,” added Marksberry. “We hope this will help them to realize what this is all about. It’s all about liberty.”

The Verdin Company designed the Veterans Tribute Tower. For each Tribute Tower sold, the company is donating a portion of the revenue generated to the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans to help with its strategic initiative. They anticipate donating $2.5 million.

These 30-foot tall bell towers will stand as a lasting tribute to honor the memory of past American veterans, to salute our present veterans and to inspire the future of all veterans. “It stands as a reminder that all communities need to ensure that our veterans receive the treatment they deserve,” said Jim Verdin, Verdin president. “It’s also an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to veterans in honor of their selfless service to our nation.”

The Veterans Coalition is a 501(c)(3) Washington-based organization formed in June 2006 to address the staggering challenges facing the 21^st century veterans and the need to develop a comprehensive plan for these veterans. The Coalition founded the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans as an independent, autonomous organization to develop a strategic plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs that will ensure our veterans receive the health care and benefits they have earned in service to our country. They hope to present the strategic plan by early summer 2008.

“America wants to say thanks,” said Harry Walters, CEO of the Veterans Coalition and the managing partner of the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans. Walters is a Cincinnati native whose military career included three years as head of the Veterans Affairs (VA). He is concerned with the ongoing welfare of America’s veterans. While at the VA he and his staff created a slogan that still rings true for him. “The slogan was simple, sincere and true,” said Walters. “America is #1 thanks to our Veterans.”

Those sentiments are echoed by Ed Sullivan, Executive Director of the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, the group that partnered with the city of Rising Sun to provide funding for the Veterans Tower. “We thought it was meaningful to do this,” said Sullivan. “It’s important to have a tribute to veterans. It’s a celebration, not a memorial.”

But honoring veterans was only part of the motivation. The partners also liked the idea of helping veterans by contributing to the commission. “They’re setting some significant goals for health and education,” added Sullivan. “We hope this will help improve services for veterans.

It’s a unique fundraising initiative that can make a lasting impact.

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For more information on the Veterans Coalition and the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans visit www.future4vets.org.

COMMUNITY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

COMMUNITY AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Rising Sun, Indiana, March 17, 2008 — The Rising Sun - Ohio County Chamber of Commerce and Historic Downtown Rising Sun are pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Chamber Recognition Awards.

Bobby Joe Keith is the 2007 Citizen of the Year. This award is given to identify, honor and reinforce the activities of exceptional caring citizens whose service or performance positively contributes to the quality of life in Rising Sun and Ohio County. Bobby Joe is an active volunteer in Rising Sun and Ohio County. He has served as a active member of several boards including the Indiana Assessor Association and the Rising Sun Cemetery Association. He is active in the Rising Sun Church of Christ and teaches Sunday School. He his Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party and has served as Ohio County Assessor for over 40 years.

The Chamber of Commerce bestowed this honor because they believe Bobby Joe’s leadership is a positive force and his caring for the community has been exemplary. Bobby Joe is a quiet man with a kind smile who is always ready to give a helping hand.

The Educator of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has made significant personal and professional contributions to the overall well-being of Ohio County youth as a leader, educator or mentor. This year’s recipient is Janie Eldridge, Director of the Denver Siekman Environmental Park. Janie teaches and provides programs which encourage and prepare our children to be caring and informed citizens about their environment and history. She leads nature hikes, has story times with crafts, and teaches learning tree sessions to third graders. She is a trained instructor for Project Learning Tree, The National Wildlife Federation, The American Red Cross, and adjunct instructor at Ivy Tech. Janie is a member of the Park Board, Citizens for a Drug Free Committee and is on the Organization Committee for Historic Downtown.

Her sincerity, generosity, and passion allows her to take every opportunity she can to do improve the well-being of Ohio County Youth.

The 2007 Business Person of the Year is Dan Beyer of Beyer’s Pharmacy. This award recognizes the significant contributions of an individual to the economic vitality of the Rising Sun and Ohio County community. Dan operates an anchor business on Main Street with dependable hours of business. Dan is soft spoken and a hard worker and willingly deals with insurance companies and physician office staff. He show unending concern and patience with his customers. In his capacity as a small town Pharmacist, he has probably helped every family in town dispensing advice along with medicine. He serves as a role model for other businesses and has an established reputation for being an ethical businessperson.

The award winners will be presented plaques in honor of their achievements and will be recognized at the Preservation Day dinner to be held on May 16, 2008 at the newly remodeled Heritage Hall on Main Street. Tickets for the event are available at the Historic Downtown Rising Sun office. Please call 438-3130 or 438-2750 to RSVP for dinner reservations.

The Rising Sun - Ohio County Chamber of Commerce is associated with Rising Sun’s Historic Downtown Program and represents Ohio County's diverse, dynamic business community. The Chamber is working to maintain a healthy economy by bringing business and industry to the area, helping established firms grow and building the community through outreach and service. For additional information, Contact: Chamber President, Lane Siekman at (812) 438-4072