08/13/2023
If you’re interested in honoring the legacy of the Bridgemen.
To all Alumni and Friends of the Bridgemen Family,
At the Bridgemen Hall of Fame Dinner this past March, it was announced that a project was underway to install a commemorative plaque honoring the history of the Bridgemen Drum & Bugle Corps and its support from the Bayonne Community.
The City of Bayonne will provide an appropriate location at First Street Park. The Dr. Walter J. Wiechetek Foundation will underwrite the cost of the plaque. The Bridgemen Commemorative Plaque Committee, along with the support and sponsorship of the Dr. Walter J. Wiechetek Foundation, will manage the responsibility of a brick sale fundraiser to contribute towards landscaping and installation costs.
The Bridgemen Commemorative Plaque Fundraiser is now underway, and you can participate by logging on to the website at
https://donate.brickmarkers.com/dwf .
BRICK SALE GENERAL INFOPRMATION:
The Brick Sale consists of two size options:
· 4 x 8 Wheatstone Brick inscribed up to 3 lines with a maximum of 20 character spaces per line at a price of $50.00 per brick.
· 8 x 8 Wheatstone Brick inscribed up to 6 lines with a maximum of 20 character spaces per line at a price of $100.00 per brick.
We have included a small, but relevant, clipart library as an option for inscription on your brick. A Crossed Flags Bridgemen Insignia (see above header), a Shako with Plume and a Hat are the available choices for inscription on the brick at no additional charge.
Be advised that if you choose to use a clipart image, the positioning and character spacing on the brick will be:
· 4 x 8 sized brick – The image will be centered on the left side of the brick. The three lines of character spaces will be positioned center to right with each line spaces reduced from 20 to 12 character spaces.
· 8 x 8 sized brick - The image will be centered over the two upper lines on the brick. Therefore, it will reduce the available lines to 4 lines with 20 character spaces per line.
(Note that the characters per line include all spaces and punctuation marks.)
All order placement and payment will be conducted on the website. By clicking on the PayPal icon, you can pay with your PayPal Account, Venmo, PayPal Credit or major credit and debit cards. No mail-in ordering process is available.
This is a one-time purchasing option which closes at midnight on October 31, 2023.
All net proceeds of the fundraiser are targeted for the costs of landscaping the Bridgemen Grove at First Street Park in Bayonne and dedication event. The dedication is tentatively scheduled for a May-June 2024 time frame. We will announce a firm date once the landscaping is complete and the event scheduled with the City of Bayonne.
You have received this notification as you were listed on a prior Bridgemen mailing list. However, this list is not comprehensive of all Bridgemen alumni. Therefore, we ask that you spread the word to all alumni and friends you may know to make this one-time effort a success and as inclusive as possible.
The Bridgemen left a mark on so many who attended their performances and parades. This project aims to establish the Bridgemen as a historical note in the Bayonne community and memories for all who participated in and supported the organization.
We hope to see the bricks in this plaza reflect the camaraderie and personal relationships that were built and nurtured during our time with the corps. The Bridgemen Grove should remain a lasting memory for all.
Thank you.
The Bridgemen Commemorative Plaque Committee
Mary Borrello-Cerreta
Michael Creedon
Patrick Forker
Nancy Kolodziej-DuCharme
Stanley Lipinski
Donald Mindiak
Michael Mindiak
Tax-Deductible Donation
The Bridgemen Commemorative Plaque Fundraiser is under the management of the Bridgemen Commemorative Plaque Committee. Its purpose is to raise funds to defray installation and landscaping costs of Bridgemen Grove at First Street Park in Bayonne, NJ.
At the center of this project is a commemorative plaque honoring the history of the Bridgemen Drum & Bugle Corps. The plaque will be underwritten by the Dr. Walter J. Wiechetek Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Foundation is also acting as the qualified organization in support of this fundraiser.
The fundraiser is a brick sale, and the inscribed bricks will be installed at the grove by the Department of Parks of the City of Bayonne.
This project is a non-profit activity, and the purchase of the bricks may be considered a tax-deductible donation. Below is guidance obtained and edited from the Internal Revenue Service website.
IRS Tax Tip 2011-57, March 22, 2011
Charitable contributions made to qualified organizations may help lower your tax bill. The IRS has put together the following four tips to help ensure your contributions pay off on your tax return.
If your goal is a legitimate tax deduction, then you must be giving to a qualified organization. (The Dr. Walter J. Wiechetek was notified of its status as a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the IRS on October 5, 2021.)
To deduct a charitable contribution, you must file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A.
If you receive a benefit because of your contribution such as merchandise, tickets to a ball game or other goods and services, then you can deduct only the amount that exceeds the fair market value of the benefit received. (You receive no benefit with this fundraiser.)
Regardless of the amount, to deduct a contribution of cash, check, or other monetary gift, you must maintain a bank record, payroll deduction records or a written communication from the organization containing the name of the organization, the date of the contribution and amount of the contribution. (Your PayPal receipt is considered your record of this donation.)
Please note that the above is for information purposes only.
