$5 Petition to Save the Tabernacle

Should we save the Tabernacle? This is like a petition but with some "teeth". Anyone can participate. If you love history, or love old buildings, join us to save this building. It's not just for the enjoyment of our town, the Tabernacle needs to be there for anyone that wants to see it, use it, and know what it might have been like to celebrate and pray in 105 years ago. 

Donate $5 ea or more to send a message to our Park Board this building should be saved for our future generations. 

The Park Board has said no to our group. They have awarded the contract for demolition and the bulldozers are warming up. While many of our citizens have fond memories of summers spent at Oakdale, our group isn't just interested in saving the Tabernacle because of sentiment and nostalgia. That's "not enough".

To us, this is about a building that is unique and one of a kind, the last structurally sound enclosed Tabernacle in Illinois. When it's gone there will be no more. 

The building takes your breath away when you enter, it's so beautiful. One marvels at the complexity of the architecture and the way the light plays upon the room. It makes one imagine a warm summer day with all the doors wide open. You imagine the decor and food someone has planned and you imagine the quiet noises of nature drifting around you as people fill the space and celebrate or learn or become friends. To us, this building is a desirable place to be in. People will seek it out and pay for the experience it offers. It's unique, playful and historic all wrapped into one.

Our Save the Tabernacle group has been attending Park Board meetings for two years but it was only in early January we learned what a short time we had to save this building. Since January 1st, we've raised pledges, roofers and carpenters have come forward willing to donate their labor, we have the best marketing firm in town willing to donate services, and we have a long list of volunteers who will help paint, clean and manage the building. We have also ignited our town with the controversy of possibly losing another part of our history.

All of this hasn't been enough to stop the Demolition. Some of the Park Board say we are the vocal minority. Let's prove them wrong. Show your support with a donation of $5 or more. It's the numbers we need here to send a message loud and clear.

We have offered the Park District a public/private partnership or to allow us to own the building completely, their choice. We will do everything. We will fundraise, we will do all the cleaning and restoration. We will bring this building back to life. We are even willing to set aside money in case we fail for the demolition. We are just asking for a chance. What is there to lose and what is there to gain?  We have a website to learn more www.savethetabernacle.com

So far, they will not listen to us. It's frustrating for many. Help us spread the word about this  GoFund. Email it to your friends, share it on social media. Help us send a message loud and clear to the Park Board. But we have to do it now, today or it will be gone forever.

Please donate $5 or more to send a message that people care about this building. To tell them to work with the Save the Tabernacle group, to give us a try. The building is structurally sound, it's not falling down. We can come together as a community and get this building open and available as a vibrant part of our area again.