��������Ƶ

The “Eagle” statue outside Wheeling Park High School soon will have inscribed on it the names of military veterans graduating from the school since it opened in 1976. (File Photo)

Ohio County Schools is about finished with collecting the names of military veterans who graduated from Wheeling Park High School, but there’s still time for veterans to be among the first-round of names engraved upon the Eagle statue outside the school.

Karin Butyn, communications and alumni director for Ohio County Schools, said 160 names had been submitted as of Monday afternoon.

Those wanting to still be included or who have questions should contact Butyn by calling Ohio County Schools at 304-243-0300.

The application form “is technically still open,” but will be closed down next week. The school district plans to open up the process at least once a year to include more military veterans who might have been missed, she said.

“As time passes, we will also continue to have students who enter the military,” she said. “We want to continue adding names at least once a year. But I don’t think any year will be as large as this initial year is.”

Butyn said the school district will next communicate with Boswell Monuments about the engraving, with the goal of unveiling the statue with the names on Veterans Day. The cost for the engraving is going to equal about $100 per name, or at least $16,000, she explained. So far, the school district has raised about $3,000 for the project.

“We will continue to fundraise, approach businesses and organizations, and see if any want to help us bring this to fruition,” Butyn said. “I believe we will make it happen.”

The Eagle statue was placed about a decade ago, but previously there was no concentrated effort to collect the names for engraving on its flat sides.