Date
Dear Mr. Smith,
The Jonestown Memorial Fund was recently organized for the sole purpose of financing a monument to be placed at Evergreen Cemetery in memory of all those who died in Guyana on November 18, 1978. I am writing to invite you to support the fund with a contribution.
This marker – consisting of four granite panels approximately 64” by 40” – will complement the monument erected by the Guyana Emergency Relief Committee in 1979 in terms of design, size, and materials to be used. (I enclose a photo taken of a mock-up of the panels to give you an idea of their size.) The cost to inscribe and place the panels with the names of all 918 persons who died that day is $15,000.
We have already received some donations to get the process started, but we need to involve as many people as we can who have been supporters of the people of Peoples Temple to complete a fitting memorial to those who died. That is why I am asking you to make a donation to the Jonestown Memorial Fund.
The Jonestown Memorial Fund is administered through Chase Bank, and is accessible by three persons: Jim Jones Jr., John Cobb, and myself. Donations can be made at any branch of Chase Bank directly into the fund’s account – you’ll need the account number, which is 865716518 – or you may use the enclosed, stamped envelope to send a check made payable to the Jonestown Memorial Fund.
However you choose to donate, we would like you to return the enclosed envelope indicating whether you have made a direct deposit into the Chase Bank account, and whether you would like your name included as a supporter of the Jonestown Memorial Fund.
This is a limited, single-purpose appeal, and our hope is to come to you just this one time. Once $15,000 is secured, the fundraising will stop, and when the monument is in place – hopefully no later than November 18, 2011 – the account will be closed.
Please donate what you are able at your earliest convenience, as we have started work with Evergreen and payment installments are due soon. And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or write.
Sincerely,
Fielding M. McGehee III