Winnebago Patriots Fund for War Relief

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At the onset of WWI, townspeople all across the country desired to assist with the war effort.  In Kenosha, Wisconsin, a plan was implement which became known as the Kenosha Plan and their slogan was "Half-Hour a Week for War Relief." That plan proposed that all those participating would instruct their employers to deduct a half-hour’s wages from their weekly pay to be contributed to the Patriots Fund, and these dollars would then be matched by their employer.  In a town consisting of 43,000 residents, 14,000 participated which constituted nearly every household.  In one year they were able to raise over $330,000.00 for the war effort.  Other counties in Wisconsin followed suit, including Winnebago County.