At least $60,000 still needed for completion.

The effort to bring the Lone Sailor statue to the Bremerton Marina continues making headway as hopes remain high that the statue will be in place by the Navy’s birthday in October.

“The good news is that we have reached the funds needed to pay for the statue, so then we will find out when and how the statue will be shipped,” said Carolyn Dankers, one of the leaders of the project.

The shipping details remain to be worked out by the artist and foundry in upstate New York, but at least $60,000 more is needed to ensure the statue’s arrival in Bremerton, Dankers said.

A big remaining unknown for the project is the final installation costs, but that is being handled by project member Carol Meteney and staff at Art Anderson and Associates in Bremerton, Dankers said.

As far as fund-raising goes, both Tim Thomson and Navy League President Guy Stitt have been out in the community promoting awareness of the project, she said.

“Kitsap Transit has large ads on their buses to raise community interest,” she said. “We also have the tabletop and poster displays in local businesses.”

Information about the project also can be found on the Internet at the Lone Sailor Web site, www.lonesailor.org, she said.

The importance of the project extends beyond just the area’s heavy Navy presence, she said.

“Bremerton has been a town known for the sailors and there was a time in history when the sailors were not always welcomed with open arms,” she said. “We hope that the significance of a nationally recognized statue at the gates of the city will announce that this is an area that is very proud of the young men and women who serve and those who have served their country in the past.”

With the naval museum in the Bremerton Harborside district and other elements paying tribute to the Navy, the Lone Sailor will be another piece of this proud tapestry, she said.

“I know the people on the Stennis would love to have the statue in place right now and we will certainly try to arrange that for them, but we are looking at an October date for the dedication if at all possible,” she said.

Donations, which are tax-deductible, can be sent in care of Navy League of the U.S., Bremerton Olympic Peninsula Council, P.O. Box 626, Bremerton, WA 98337.