All Hands on Deck

North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation has a special opportunity to preserve the state’s World War II heritage and its constant reminder in Wilmington – the USS North Carolina battleship.

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North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company pledged $25,000 toward the Generations Campaign, which was launched by the Battleship North Carolina Commission to replace the steel of the ship’s hull and build a cofferdam, or wall that lets water at the base of the ship be drained out. The campaign hopes to raise $15 million total toward the effort. In August, NCFB started a campaign encouraging all county Farm Bureaus to get involved.

The campaign was set in motion after the U.S. Navy informed the Battleship North Carolina Commission it needed to either repair the vessel or dispose of it. The repair plan will help the ship stand strong for another generation, which is good news for the approximately 300,000 people per year who visit the ship. The ship is one of the few in the U.S. that continues to thrive, as other ships are not being restored. The commission hopes to have the repairs completed by 2017.

County Farm Bureaus were encouraged to donate $25 or more by Nov. 15 for every board member serving, and if they had 100 percent participation, they will be presented with a plaque featuring original teak wood from the ship’s deck at NCFB’s annual meeting in December. Gifts from county Farm Bureaus will also be recognized in Wilmington at the Battleship’s visitors’ center.

Learn more about the Generations Campaign at battleshipnc.com/generations.

– Rachel Bertone