FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- The U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has done a lot of different things to raise money, but one of the biggest fund raisers was selling a commemorative coin.
Saturday (May 7) the United States Mint gave a check to the museum for the proceeds that were raised by selling the coin.
“Every year congress considers specific purposes to do a commemorative coin,” Congressman Steve Womack said. “They only do two a year.”
Sales for the coin raised more than $3 million dollars, and Congressman Womack helped present the check during the ceremony.
'I was thrilled to be a part of that,” Womack said. “It was a wonderful learning experience for me, and it was something that we could demonstrate that showed the bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.”
Senator John Boozman also helped present the check, and a special guest joined in on the ceremony. Lenore Beard was the first person to buy the coin.
“When I knew they were minting the coin I decided that would be a good Christmas present for my family,” Beard said.
Beard said the museum will mean a lot to her family because her husband, Larry, was a U.S. marshal.
“He was appointed in 1971 by President Nixon,” Beard said.
Beard said the curator for the museum come to her home to look at some of Larry’s marshal gear, and many of those items will be displayed in the museum.
“I will actually walk into that museum, and I will actually see some of his things,” Beard said.
There's still about $30 million dollars left to raise for the project, but the museum expects doors to open in 2018.