DeKALB – The DeKalb Rotary Club is planning to restore the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock back to working order, with $28,000 as the total goal to repair the clock and its exterior. 

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, 101 Lincoln Highway, is celebrating its centennial this year. Since the DeKalb Rotary Club is also celebrating its centennial this year, this project makes sense, said Brian Corr, the president of the DeKalb Rotary Club. The clock, dedicated in 1921, is a reminder of those who fought in World War I. 

The current location of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock is not where it was originally located. The clock has been moved a few times in the DeKalb area and has had quite a few incidents happen simply because of its previous location, including a car accident, which is one of the reasons for relocation. 

“The current paint is fading, peeling and there is rust developing,” said Corr. “The least expensive quote for painting the exterior of the clock we’ve seen is in the $15,000 range.” The paint will need to be an exterior grade paint that can handle the weather. The exterior of the clock also has some intricate decorations that will need to be painted around. 

For more information about the DeKalb Rotary Club and the restoration of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, visit the DeKalb Rotary Club website.

In addition to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, donations to the DeKalb Rotary Club Charitable Impact Fund will go towards “scholarships, support for food banks and other community projects,” according to the DeKalb County Community Foundation. Those interested in contributing to the DeKalb Rotary Club can make a donation on the DeKalb County Community Foundation website. 

Upcoming events to help raise money for the restoration include a raffle held by the DeKalb Rotary Club in June and in August there will be a free concert including a box dinner drive, where the proceeds from those purchases will go towards local projects. The DeKalb Rotary Club aims to have an event around Veteran’s Day for the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock. The club is raising funds and getting quotes, but ultimately the city of DeKalb has to do the repairs since the city owns the clock, said Corr.

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock memorializes the sacrifices that were made during World War I. “To me, it’s really an indication of the dedication of the people of the city of DeKalb,” said Corr. “Getting it up and running is something that we can feel proud of as a community.”