Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

of concerts, sports events, ceremonies, weddings, graduations, exhibitions, and programs that have occurred there, the Coliseum also serves as the community’s major evacuation site. “When things go wrong, whether it’s bad weather or some catastrophe in town, like a fire, and people have to be evacuated, we’re frequently called into action,” Brown says. Indeed, during the catastrophic flood of 1982, which put Fort Wayne on the national map, the Memorial Coliseum served as a shelter and command post for relief efforts. And when disaster strikes, the Coliseum employees provide food and beverages, as well as a phone bank, so that people coming in for shelter can call their loved ones and let them know they’re safe. “So, there’s a real connection within the community for the Coliseum,” he adds. And, of course, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is still a cenotaph - a monument to those who died in combat. “And everything we do is with veterans in mind,” Brown says in conclusion. “We support the veterans with events on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Pearl Harbor Day. Parades are started, or end here, at the Coliseum. There’s an area of the building off the arena that’s called Memorial Hall. It has a number of plaques with names of those people who lost their lives in wars and conflicts. That relationship with the veterans is something we hold dear and we want to make it stronger with every opportunity that we can.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Harlow Enterprises Inc. www.harlowenterprisesinc.net