The annual Bell Tower Festival, which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower, has even more to celebrate. The four-octave carillon atop the tower, a 20-year dream of the Bell Tower Community Foundation, will be a reality before the tower turns 51.
The Foundation on Wednesday was awarded a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant of $87,102 by Vision Iowa to complete funding for the project.
Carole Custer, president of the foundation, led a contingent of eight to present the project to the Vision Iowa board at Five Island Lake in Emmetsburg. “The tower talked, and Vision Iowa listened,” Custer said after the presentation.
She explained that she spoke in first person as the tower itself, using songs that have been played from the top of the tower as her touchpoints.
First was “The Impossible Dream,” followed by “As Time Goes By” as the tower told of its early years and the fundraising efforts that led to the CAT grant application.
“We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” was the cue for explaining how the expansion project will be carried out. “Shine On, Harvest Moon” set the date of Oct. 16, the celebration of the tower’s 50th anniversary, as a time to announce a schedule for the rest of the project. “Rock Around the Clock” was the tower’s touchpoint for future plans.
“Please finish this 50-year anniversary project with approving this grant so my community can appreciate the true sounds in 2017 of ‘I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day’,” the tower concluded, sounding very much like Custer.
Total cost of the expansion project is $440,905. The grant award is contingent on having all funds for the project in place within 30 days. According to Custer, the foundation has the funds available if it drains all its resources, leaving only the money needed to cover operating costs.
Funds have come from a $175,000 bequest from Paul Nally, a $61,500 grant from Grow Greene, donations to a fund drive launched in early May and cash on hand.
There is still time to be part of the fundraising, Custer said. Nine bells remain “unnamed,” she said. Families, businesses or organizations can donate the cost of a bell and name it as they wish. That needs to be done in the next 30-60 days, before the last bells are cast, she added.
Custer thanked, first of all, Floyd and Dora Mahanay for their generous contribution that allowed construction of the tower 50 years ago. She thanked the initial board of the Bell Tower Community Foundation, the Greene County supervisors and the secondary roads department, the city of Jefferson, the Greene County schools, those who donated the bells that have been on display in the courthouse for many years and will now receive strikers and be hung, the Greene County Community Foundation, the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, Grow Greene, and the late Paul Nally.
Current members of the Bell Tower Community Foundation in addition to Custer are vice president Craig Berry, secretary Peg Raney, treasurer Bob Schwarzkopf, and Tim Christensen, Guy Richardson and Jean Feldmann. Pat Richards coordinates the seasonal staff at the bell tower.
The grant to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower was the smallest grant awarded Wednesday by Vision Iowa. The Vision Iowa board awarded a total of $1,449,752 to a library in Maynard, an aquatic center in Traer, a trail project in Waukee, and the YMCA in Des Moines in addition to the Mahanay grant.
“We’re very proud of the impact that Vision Iowa has had on the state in its 16 years,” said Cathy Reece, Vision Iowa Board chair in a press release. “We’ve invested $396,727,800 in 456 projects in 97 counties. Total project costs of all Community Attraction and Tourism, River Enhancement Community Attraction and Tourism and Vision Iowa projects tops $2.2 billion.”
To date, 427 CAT awards have been granted, totaling $158,978,600.
