Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
Have you ever wondered what becomes of those coins tossed upon a wish into the wishing well at the Mountain Mall? They are going to help veterans in the local community.
The Mountain Mall of Gatlinburg donated 25 five-gallon buckets of coins from their wishing well to the American Legion Post 104 in Sevierville late last month. The wishing well at the shopping center is four stories tall. Mall management recently had their maintenance crews close and clean the well, gathering all the coins.
In a separate donation earlier in September, Penny Houston of PHD Embroidery & Design, representing the Mountain Mall of Gatlinburg Business Association, donated $762 to the Post 104 Memorial Fund.
Adjutant David Howard, Penny Houston and Mountain Mall representative Allen Keaton.
On Sept. 22, 2015, Post Adjutant David Howard, along with members of Post 104 and the Ladies Auxiliary, presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Houston and Mountain Mall representatives for donations made throughout the year.
The buckets of coins from the wishing well were transported to American Legion Post 104, where volunteers performed the arduous task of washing, drying and separating all the coins by denomination.
Mountain Mall Wishing Well coins drying after being washed.
“Post 104 members serve the community through volunteer hours,” said Howard. “No donated funds are used for administrative services, and all donated funds are turned back into the community through veteran assistance.”
The total value of the wishing well coins will not be known for several weeks, but the donation is estimated to exceed $2,300. All funds will be used to assist veterans in the Sevier County area.
