Historical Society treasurer urges volunteers for '100 squared' campaign; reports fundraising progress

Jim Schwarzbower, treasurer of the Proctor Historical Society, asked the Proctor City Council on Monday to help recruit volunteers for a community program he called "100 squared," and reported progress on the museum's fundraising and donor recognition.

"Since we started this project, nearly $450,000," Schwarzbower said, and he also cited "355 different entries" on the donor list. He told council members he will remain treasurer for six months while organizers work to build a broader volunteer base and encouraged elected officials to convene community and school leaders to support the initiative.

Schwarzbower described plans to buy the first 100 purple shirts (he said the first 100 shirts will be paid for) to identify volunteers and tie the effort to community events such as National Night Out. He asked council members, school-board representatives and community leaders to help convene volunteers and organizational partners in early January to get the program started.

During the remarks Schwarzbower noted prior grants and memorials that contributed to museum exhibits, including an "age-to-age" grant and a $50,000 grant for Tranquility Park; he encouraged council members and residents to visit the museum and consider donating time as well as money.

Council members thanked Schwarzbower for his work and expressed support for recruiting more volunteers; no formal action was taken at the meeting beyond the invitation to meet and discuss next steps.

Next steps Schwarzbower said he will meet with interested officials and community members in January to discuss implementation; the Historical Society will cover the cost of the first 100 volunteer shirts.