The African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids is beginning an on-line fundraiser Friday to help the museum recover from flood damage. Paschal Eze is a volunteer who is coordinating the "Count Me In Campaign."
Eze says the museum needs a lot of help to get back on its feet as it was about five feet underwater and sustained some $720,000 in damage, and only about $70,000 is covered by insurance. Eze says one of the few good things to come out of the flooding is the national attention it gained. That attention has led to many offers of help.
Eze says they’ve had people write from Scotland, Washington State and Maryland to send checks ahead of this fundraiser. Eze is an immigrant from Niegeria who says he’s been in the museum when kids have come through.
Eze says the kids had a glow on their faces as they read the facts in the museum, and he wants to see that continue so Iowans can appreciate the past and use that to understand the present. Eze says the on-line fundraiser makes it easy for people to help the African American Museum of Iowa.
He says the idea is to allow "cultural loving people" everywhere the chance to "point, click and donate." You can go to Count Me In Campaign website to participate in the campaign.