Monumental fundraising effort

MILFORD, PA — Delaware Valley High School senior Austin Lemac appeared before the Pike County Commissioners last week to present a print of Norman Rockwell’s painting “Homecoming,” which was awarded by the National World War II Monument Committee for Lemac’s fundraising efforts on behalf of the newly finished monument on the Mall in Washington D.C.

LeMac, now 18, took on the fundraising effort in 2001—becoming the nation’s youngest local fundraising chair for the project. The print is given in recognition of the “defender” donation status attained in Pike, where Lemac raised more than $15,000.

Bill Glanville of the Milford American Legion post and Robert Gallagher of the VFW were on hand to credit Lemac for his efforts. “To see our youth come forward and do this says a lot for our future,” Glanville said.

Commissioners’ Chair Harry Forbes also credited the young man, saying the level of contributions “would not have been close to this if Austin Lemac had not been involved.”

Lemac has been involved in patriotic efforts since his junior high school days, when he spent his allowance money to replace a tattered American flag flying at the PA end of the Mid-Delaware Bridge.

Lemac will attend Temple University in the fall and plans to become an attorney.

Forbes said the Rockwell print will be displayed on the administration building’s new Wall of Honor, where photographs of area service people are displayed.