Charlotte-based veterans group says city’s parking mistake cost it $10,000
A Charlotte-based veterans organization claims a city parking mistake cost it more than $10,000 meant for mental health services.
Curtis Drafton, founder of nonprofit U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame, said he reserved Romare Bearden Park with Mecklenburg County for $6,000 to host the fourth annual Walk to Fight Suicide on Aug 6.
When Drafton arrived that morning to set up for the event, he said parking within a mile radius of the park was reserved for a Charlotte FC match against the Chicago Fire that didn’t begin until 7 p.m. Drafton and others setting up for the event all received parking tickets, which he’s successfully appealed.
“Four months of planning and no one said they’d shut down parking,” said Drafton, who said he made the city aware of the park reservation to ensure the event would have parking.
The event normally attracts up to 2,000 people and tens of thousands of dollars from sponsors and donations. It only saw 80 attendees and raised just $430 due to the parking issue, Drafton said. The nonprofit’s founder said he received 300 angry emails from people who tried to get to the event but ran into parking challenges.
People who emailed Drafton complained about the event’s organization, the way the event was advertised and high prices for garage parking, the only available option nearby.
“We lost about $10,000 that would be put into the community,” Drafton said. “People were irate. They were mad.”
Drafton said he can safely assume the event would have raised $10,000 from sponsors and attendees’ donations if the event went as planned, based on the event’s funding in previous years.
City of Charlotte spokesman Gregg Watkins said the Charlotte FC match and the Catholic eucharistic walk, an annual religious procession, happening the same day restricted access to parking near the veterans event.
Drafton informed the city of the walk and the event had proper permitting from Mecklenburg County, Watkins said.
Watkins said the Charlotte Department of Transportation began working to address citations received by veterans event attendees after being made aware of the issue on Aug. 9.
“CDOT will work with Mecklenburg County to ensure appropriate access is reserved for future events at Romare Bearden Park and coordinated with other permitted uptown activities,” Watkins wrote in an email to The Charlotte Observer.
Charlotte FC does not organize uptown parking, the team’s spokesman Woody Wilder said. CDOT designates uptown parking for matches, Wilder said.
What is the U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame?
The U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame’s mission is to bring services to veterans dealing with homelessness, unemployment and mental illness. Half a million veterans are unemployed and 22 die by suicide daily nationwide, the nonprofit’s data show.
In Charlotte, Drafton estimates there’s one veteran suicide each month.
“You’ve got organizations saving lives, but we’re gonna get shoved aside when the Chicago Fire comes to town?” Drafton said.
The Hall of Fame also inducts a new group annually to “pay public tribute to the men and women of prior military service who exemplify great character and service,” its website states.
The nonprofit’s goal is to raise $200,000 to go toward therapy sessions, utility bills, housing assistance and job training.
This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
