Col. Warner Gardner Memorial Renovation

My name is Stephen Shepperd, and I am the project coordinator for the Diamond Cup Hydromaniacs group in Coeur d'Alene. We are raising funds to renovate the Col. Warner Gardner Memorial in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Col. Gardner was a race championship boat driver killed in August of 1968 while driving an unlimited hydroplane race in Detroit, Michigan. He was also a decorated pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

The memorial honors his career as a race driver, and it also celebrates those other drivers that have also lost their lives in competition. The monument was constructed in 1969 and placed near the pit area for the Diamond Cup hydroplane race, a race where he raced with distinction many times. Unfortunately, wind and weather have taken their toll on the memorial over the past 53 years. This project will repair and restore the monument to its original condition.