Dan LaMacchia poses a $5,000 challenge to Wellington Class of '77

WELLINGTON — Dan LaMacchia has gifted $5,000 to The Spirit of '76 Museum, and he's willing to double it if his classmates also come through. He's issued a patriotic challenge to fellow members of the Wellington High School Class of 1977: Raise another $5,000 by the Fourth of July, and he'll match it. If they're successful, the local history museum on Route 58 will have $15,000 toward restoration of murals created by famed 19th century artist Archibald Willard. Secretary Barbara Leiby said LaMacchia has been good to the Southern Lorain County Historical Society, which operates the museum. Now a Columbus-area financial adviser, LaMacchia grew up in town, she said. His father, Ray, was president of The Spirit of '76 Museum during the nation's bicentennial, and proudly took several Willard paintings on a tour across the United States. The "New Spirit of Wellington" tour showcased the museum's namesake painting, which shows Revolutionary War drummers and a fifer on the march across a battlefield. Becky Norton, who serves as vice president of today's museum board, said the elder LaMacchia ended up with the collection in Washington, D.C., where he shook hands with President Gerald Ford. A photograph commemorating the bicentennial meeting with Ford is prized to this day. Dan LaMacchia recently saw several videos Norton posted online about the restoration of three murals Willard made circa 1874 and 1875, as America was preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. They were commissioned by the Bellefontaine Masonic Lodge about the same time Willard was painting "The Spirit of '76," she said. He wanted to help pay for the stabilization and framing of a mural showing King Solomon's temple. "It got him thinking about his dad and how important the museum is to him," Norton said. "This is a way of honoring his dad and the work he did for the museum." So LaMacchia set the July 4 deadline — an appropriate date for the occasion, Leiby said — and challenged his high school classmates to help preserve local history. Anyone can donate via PayPal using a link found at thespiritof76museum.org or by sending checks to The Spirit of '76 Museum, P.O. Box 76, Wellington, OH 44090, with "Class of 1977" in the memo line. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.