Hello Everyone –
I hope you are all doing well as we adjust to life with COVID-19. The Friends of the Old Millstadt Water Tower had planned a busy year for 2020, but the pandemic changed everything – really fast. We had hoped to be able to hold our annual trivia night on March 14, but we decided to cancel it at 11:00 that morning. We had the half marathon/5k races set for May 31, and then we rescheduled them to September 13, and then we consulted with the timing company who recommended that we cancel altogether for 2020.
So, now how do we continue? Well, for starters, 
we participated in the St. Louis Community Fund Give StL Day on May 7, and we received several donations both through the St. Louis Community Fund and directly to us. A nice, unexpected boost!! But you don’t have to wait for a special day to make a donation to the Tin Man. The easiest way is to make a donation through our website at the “Support Shop” tab on the home page. Then click on “Give a generous donation”, and choose “Donation”. Or you may send checks payable to the Friends of the Old Millstadt Water Tower, P. O. Box 335, Millstadt, IL 62260. We will send you a donation acknowledgement that you may use for your taxes. The Friends of the Old Millstadt Water is a 501 (C) 3 charity. We have received more than $5000 in donations since the beginning of 2020.
Some fund raising methods continue. Millstadt IGA, 625 East Washington in Millstadt, continues to be the collection point for used inkjet cartridges for the Friends.
With everyone staying home, more people are shopping online. The Friends are registered with “Amazon Smile”. To help, login to http://www.amazon.com/smile, and choose “Friends of the Old Millstadt Water Tower” as the charity to be supported. Amazon will send a percentage of the purchase to the Friends. Amazon Smile works with Amazon Prime. This program has steadily grown over the years.
On Friday afternoons, from 3-6 p.m. until October, the Friends will be selling Tin Man merchandise at the Millstadt Farmers’ Market, located at the Millstadt VFW parking lot. Items for sale include tee shirts, coasters, buttons and greeting cards, with a new product coming soon.
Despite the challenges we have been experiencing this year, we have been able to pass the $146,000 mark in our efforts to get the Tower repainted. If we all continue to work together, we will succeed in getting the Tin Man restored. He has been keeping watch over Millstadt for almost 90 years, and let’s make sure he continues for at least 90 more!!
Betty Keller Timmer, president Friends of the Old Millstadt Water Tower