Colorado veterans to fundraise $15M to build "Heroes Hall" at Douglas County Fairgrounds
Veterans in Douglas County are gearing up for a massive fundraising campaign to build a centralized space for veterans resources and community known as "Heroes Hall."
"It's hard to explain without going through it," said Mike McNairy, chairman of the Heroes Hall Foundation. "You get to be so close with the people you work with on active duty, and when you come back to the civilian world, they don't have that. So they always look for a place to go,"
After 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, McNairy sought out community among other veterans, becoming the chairman of the Douglas County Veterans Monument Board and the commander of American Legion Post 1187 in Castle Rock.
"Right now, we meet at the calf ranch," McNairy said. "I think the VFW meets at one of the local breweries, so it's like we need a home. We need a place to go."
With help from County Commissioner George Teal, a veteran himself, McNairy's dream of a home for veterans was added to plans for upcoming renovations at the fairgrounds.
The 14,000-square-foot "Heroes Hall" will be built at the corner of Plum Creek Parkway and Fairgrounds Road, and it will include an event space and conference center that can be used by other groups. It will bring all of the county's veterans groups and their services under one roof, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation and Douglas County Veterans Services.
"They can come and get support, help, come and congregate, just hang out and say, 'Hey,'" McNairy said.
Heroes Hall will offer services from counseling to family support, addressing veterans' physical, emotional and social needs. It will serve not only Douglas County's nearly 20,000 veterans, but also any veterans who find themselves in the area.
"We want all veterans to be able to stop by, whether they're traveling through the country or they're right here at home," McNairy said.
While Douglas County provided the land, Heroes Hall will need to be funded by private donations.
"If it was up to me, I'd break ground yesterday, but I need $15 million to make this project go," McNairy said.
McNairy is starting a fundraising campaign to build the home he and other veterans have long dreamed of.
"Veterans, they're a unique breed," McNairy said. "They like being with each other. So they give themselves a lot of crap, but at the end of the day, they're all brothers and sisters under the arms."
If fundraising goes well, McNairy hopes to break ground soon and have Heroes Hall built in two years. For more information or to donate, visit the Heroes Hall website.
