Memorial Day Brings Fresh Memories of Fallen Soldiers with Effort to Fund a Permanent Tribute

by Jane Stahl

Creating a permanent tribute to all who serve or who have served is the mission of the fundraising campaign to create and install a six-foot sculpture in bronze at Fairview Cemetery. The bronze sculpture will replace Bear Fever’s fiberglass sculpture “G.I. Joe” that is rapidly deteriorating after twenty years.

The military bear, painted by artist Kylene Bertoia-Hart, has stood proudly to memorialize those who offered their lives protecting our country’s freedoms. “G.I. Joe” has been “hospitalized from time to time over his lifetime but faces major deterioration. And so, Betty Zimmerman, step mother of Travis C. Zimmerman, has mounted a capital campaign to replace the fiberglass sculpture with one in bronze as a permanent tribute to veterans from all branches of service, across generations.

Donations can be made to “Travis Zimmerman Memorial Fund and sent to Richard A. Zuber, ATTN: Connie Dolansky (Bear Fund), 201 E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, PA 19512 OR to Betty Zimmerman, 170 Woodside Drive, Boyertown, PA 19512. Donations can also be made via Venmo by scanning the QR code.

History:
Travis C. Zimmerman gave his life as a 19-year-old Army private, a victim of a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005. His death inspired his childhood friend Scarlett Kulp to mount a campaign to fund one of Boyertown, PA’s Bear Fever life-sized bear sculptures to honor him and all the men and women who serve in the military.

Along with family, friends, and community volunteers, Scarlett placed collection containers throughout the community, set up tables at community events, organized and inspired fundraising events in the area schools and civic organizations. And as word spread of the project, donations came from across the country. The Military Bear “G.I. Joe” was debuted at a Hometown Heroes event and has stood guard at the Fairview Cemetery, proudly in salute to all who pass by, for almost 20 years.

The fiberglass sculpture has needed assorted repairs over the years but it has reached the end of its lifetime. Travis’s stepmother Betty Zimmerman has doggedly mounted efforts to fund the repairs over the years and, eager to install a sculpture that will last in perpetuity, she is raising funds to create and install a six-foot sculpture in bronze to replace the deteriorating fiberglass one now standing.

Personalized bronze tabletop models are also available by contacting Betty Zimmerman. Proceeds from the purchase of a personalized bronze tabletop model will help to fund the life-sized community sculpture honoring all military men and women.

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