PRESTON – Glenn Beck raised $28,000 for two charities in Preston on Saturday, June 27, as part of the community’s America 250 celebration.
The funds were split in half with the Larsen Sant Library which received $14,000 and the Oneida Stake Academy, getting the other $14,000.
The Larsen Sant Library is raising money to pay for a needed addition.
Beck has supported local historic preservation efforts in the county. He was instrumental in raising funds for the Worm Creek Opera House. Most recently for the Academy building and Library expansion.
Necia Seamons, vice chair of the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation, said they were grateful for Beck’s help.
“We appreciate more than we can say of the effort Glenn Beck put into this event to make it so wonderful,” she said. “The Oneida Stake Academy Foundation and the Library Board are thrilled and very thankful that he would take his time to help with these worthy projects.”
The two organizations felt like those who attended Beck’s presentations learned a lot about American history that evening.
“We have had a lot of people tell us how much they appreciated being able to come listen to Glenn enlighten us with our own history,” Seamons said. “He really shared some fascinating items and profound stories behind them with us.”
For over 20 years the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation has been working to restore the Oneida Stake Academy building.
The Oneida Stake Academy today, located at 90 E. Oneida St., was a secondary school operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1888 to 1922. The Preston historic building was constructed in 1895.
“We are in the process of doing the technical wiring for the sound system,” Seamons said. “We also have some plumbing to do.”
Every year they get closer to having the building finished and open to the public.
“We have a lot of people giving a little money,” she said. “We are not in debt, we don’t owe any money.”
Seamons said they also have a lot of people who volunteer their services to help restore the building.
They are planning to have their Heritage Day celebration on Saturday, Aug. 1. This year organizers have invited the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation to set up a camp on July 31. The public is invited to help set up a Shoshone teepee at 9 a.m.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. the village will be open for the public to see crafts, cultural displays and storytelling. Tribal drummers and dancers will perform throughout the day. There will be a trading post and a booth for finding people’s Revolutionary War ancestors and more.