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Scotty Crawford received a certificate from the U.S. Capitol for his fundraising efforts
CANFIELD
Canfield War Vet Museum
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Scotty Crawford, 12, of Canfield has helped raise more than $30,000 to benefit a local museum.
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, the Republican incumbent in the 6th Congressional District and 26-year veteran, visited the Canfield War Veterans Museum, 23 E. Main St., to honor Scotty Crawford, 12, of Canfield, for his dedicated fundraising efforts to help renovate the museum.
Johnson, of Marietta, awarded Scotty a certificate and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for his “remarkable commitment” to raising money Monday afternoon, which was also 72nd anniversary of D-Day, the major Allied forces victory in France that began the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control, and contributed to the Allied victory on the Western Front in World War II.
Scotty, who has now raised $34,100, said he first got the idea for raising funds for the museum after a third-grade field trip around Canfield. Scotty noticed the museum was in need of a paint touch-up, and his idea took off from there.
“He just got a plan, wrote letters, went door to door and [he] speaks to anyone that’ll listen,” said Karyn Frederick, Scotty’s aunt.
Sam Boak, of Canfield Rotary and the owner of Boak & Sons, contributed free manpower and discounted supplies once Scotty reached his $10,000 mark.
“It’s been a big community support [project] and makes me real proud to be from this little town,” Frederick said.
Scotty is now going into seventh grade.
His next goal is to replace the porch steps. After, he said he’ll “take a rest” until something else needs improved.
Johnson said museums such as the Canfield War Veterans Museum serve as an opportunity to educate young people within a community.
“We have to teach future generations freedom is not free, and all you have to do is set foot in this place and walk around and you begin to get that sense – 1.3 million Americans have died, giving their lives paying the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms,” he said. “We owe a great debt of gratitude to our veterans, to those men and women that served.”
Anne Crawford, Scotty’s mother, agreed, noting the museum’s value goes beyond memorializing veterans by serving as a tangible history lesson.
“The beauty of this place is everything is touchable and viewable and it comes with a story – everything in here has a purpose,” she said.
There are more than 40,000 artifacts, from virtually every U.S. conflict, on display at the museum.