The fund now stands at $222,000 in pledges with $190,000 of that figure collected as the Militant goes to press. A concentrated effort will have to be organized in every area to ensure that the outstanding pledges are collected and the local goals adopted are reached by the February 29 deadline. We urge the readers of the Militant who have not yet made a contribution to make one, and those who are in a position to do so, to increase the amount they contribute to this special effort.

The 2004 Headquarters Appeal raises funds to cover costs for the construction of a new international center for the communist movement in Manhattan’s Garment District. The center will house the Socialist Workers Party national office, the newsroom for the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial, along with the new Pathfinder bookstore and a hall for the Militant Labor Forum.

This special effort will culminate in a Red Weekend and Grand Opening February 28-29. Over those two days volunteers will finish any remaining construction and cap off the weekend with a meeting that will feature talks by leaders of the communist movement. We urge you to join us in celebrating the completion of this impressive effort. (See ad.)

The money from the Headquarters Appeal has been spent as it has come in, allowing this project to remain on its tight schedule every week since construction was initiated at the beginning of January.

Paul Mailhot, one of the organizers of the volunteer work crew, reported in a telephone interview that the electrical work in the new headquarters is complete and the carpet has now been laid in the new Pathfinder bookstore and in the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial newsroom. In fact, reference materials, file cabinets, and some furniture used by the staff of these periodicals has already been moved into that space. The entire move of the office will be completed by February 18 so that the next issue of the Militant will be produced in the newly constructed quarters.

The installation of new double-pane windows that will greatly reduce the noise and help hold down air conditioning costs during the summer months began on February 17. The new shelves are up in the bookstore, Mailhot reported, and work is going into finishing the tables and partitions that will be used there.

The final push is now on to complete the painting of the section of the headquarters where the SWP offices will be located. Mailhot said carpet will be laid there on February 18.

Work will continue on raising contributions to the Headquarters Appeal right up until the February 29 deadline.

During the past week, Dave Prince from New York visited both Washington, D.C. and Newark, to reinforce efforts underway there. Similarly, Dennis Richter from San Francisco and this reporter from New York visited Houston. Over the next several days visits will be organized to additional cities.

Final payments can be hand-delivered in New York during the February 28-29 Red Weekend and Grand Opening. Contributions should be made out to the 2004 Headquarters Building Appeal and sent c/o SWP National Office, 306 W. 37th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10018.

See progress in appeal  
 
 
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