The fundraiser celebrates the efforts to create the “Big Annie” statue.

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – A fundraiser in Houghton celebrated progress Sunday to create a statue for a Copper Country heroine.

The Big Annie team says they’ve reached a third of their fundraising goal of $150,000. I’m one step closer to honoring 1910s labor activist Anna Klobuchar Clemenc.

“Women have not been given the right for historical traces in this area,” said Vada Riederich, a member of the Big Annie team. “Annie left a big mark here. We work hard to honor that.”

Riederich says they’ve raised just over $52,000 and hope to make that number grow.

Big Annie is known for her courageous activism in a 1913 copper strike to demand fair wages, mine safety and social justice.

Anita Campbell, a member of the Big Annie team, says she has raised enough to choose a sculptor for the project. She says women’s stories are often lost in history.

“And we just didn’t want to see that happen to Annie,” Campbell said. “She has quite a legacy and left a big mark on our community, so this is one way we can preserve her legacy.”

Junior Annie team member Ione Laramore says Annie is an inspiration.

“At that time, women were confined to homes and didn’t work, and she still made her voice heard and made an active effort to improve the lives of people here,” Laramore said.

Guests could show their support by purchasing books and t-shirts about Annie or browsing the silent auction. A living painter actively preserved Annie’s memory during the event.

“Big Annie is bigger than Calumet,” Reiderich said. “She is known throughout the United States and outside of the United States. Her story needs to be told.”

Campbell says the team hopes to begin work on the statue next year.

Learn more about the statue project here.

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