[K9-Lovers]

At one time, I was director of special events for the city where I lived. As a military community, we began discussions regarding hosting "The Wall" in our area. We had a similar steering committee and 7 cities were involved. The fee to have The Wall visit was prohibitive. In my professional opinion at the time, there was an extremely high percentage of profit for the promotors.

Did your steering committee prepare a planning budget? Did the budget include a conservative estimate of income through fund-raising and sponsorships? Or, was the steering committee expecting the developer to shoulder the majority of the expense? From my past experience, I'm guessing the expenses were substantial.

While the events planned at TV sound wonderful, the additional costs of a variety of free events, plus the cost for logistical support would be enough to make any business-minded person take pause.

Patriotism can be expressed in many ways and does not require spending excessive amounts of money.

Did the steering committee consider any other alternatives besides having "The Wall" displayed? Maybe instead of the moving wall, uniformed volunteers could conduct an around-the-clock reading of each and every name on The Wall. Together with the ancilliary events you had planned, the community could particpate and your efforts would surely be appreciated.

Don't let disappointment over losing one aspect of your celebration cloud your enthusiasm! While the steering committee may be dismayed over losing this one component (The Wall), why not carry on with the other activities? A few ticketed events and some sponsorship could pay for everything else you had planned.