Lincoln Memorial vandalism spurs fundraising campaign
Some people saw red after seeing green paint splattered on the Lincoln Memorial, so they took action.
#RespectLincoln is a social media campaign hoping to raise money to help restore the famed monument in Washington.
Created by the National Park Foundation and D.C. TV station WUSA9, the campaign (#respectlincoln on Twitter) asks people to post a picture on Twitter with a $5 bill to show you “#RespectLincoln.”
Donors can text the word PARKS to 90999 or log on to the National Park Foundation website to donate $5 or more.
So far, the campaign seems to be catching on, and WUSA9 has been adding the pictures to its website.
The fundraising effort, which started last Friday, has raised $2,000.
Early on July 26, green paint was found splattered on the Lincoln Memorial. Paint vandalism was also found this past week at the Washington National Cathedral.
The Associated Press reports that a woman was “arrested Monday and charged with defacing the cathedral. Authorities believe Jiamei Tian, 58, was responsible for all the incidents.”
Some traces of green stains on the Lincoln Memorial still remain as the cleanup of the iconic monument continues.
“It is heartbreaking when one of our national parks, like the Lincoln Memorial, is vandalized," Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation, said in a statement emailed to Yahoo News. “These national treasures belong to all of us — and together, we can restore, protect and safeguard these treasured places, so future generations get the chance to experience them too.”
