Thanks to an Iowa couple — who wish to remain anonymous — San Pedro’s historic battleship could be in for a $200,000 windfall.
But it all depends on whether the Battleship Iowa Museum operators can raise $100,000 in donations by June 30.
The couple pledged to personally donate $100,000 to the ship — if a matching amount is raised by the ship in the next few months.
“It’s a challenge,” said ship spokesman Andrew Bossenmeyer. “We’re constantly bringing in donations but these need to be specifically earmarked for this grant.”
A website has been set up — www.pacificbattleship.com/page/challenge-grant — to take online donations in any amount for the cause. So far, more than $10,000 has been collected toward the pledge drive, Bossenmeyer said.
Those writing checks should specify “$100K matching grant” on the memo line.
The World War II battleship has been docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro for nearly four years, drawing 225,000 visitors last year, the ship’s best year so far. Exhibits and displays have been expanded since the ship’s arrival but more is planned and the cost of maintenance alone for historic battleships is daunting.
If the matching donation requirements are met, the money would go into the nonprofit ship’s general fund, Bossenmeyer said.
Recently, the ship has installed restrooms on board and launched Camp Battleship, an overnight program in which students and Scouts can spend the night on the Iowa.
With a sponsorship for the work already in place, the ship should finally have shoreside power by July.
“We’ve been operating on generators and we can only use those for a certain amount of time so it does limit our ability to stay open later and to do some of these extracurricular events such as Camp Battleship,” Bossenmeyer said.
Restoration work also continues on the deck and on making the ship more accessible for the disabled.
“We have veterans in their 80s and 90s who want to see the ship,” Bossenmeyer said, noting an elevator system is being explored so guests don’t have to navigate the long gangways to come on board.
The ship also has launched the free “Movies Under the Guns” and similar programs featuring concerts and, on Mother’s Day this year, Theatrum Elysium presenting a free Shakespearian play (“Cymbeline”) as a way to bring more people onto the floating landmark.
