History of the Friends of the Alamo
After meeting as members of Alamo Mission Chapter, the oldest and largest chapter in San Antonio, Erin Bowman and Dianne MacDiarmid came to the conclusion that something must be done to preserve our glorious Texas heritage. Funds were extremely limited for the preservation work critically needed on the historical buildings on the Alamo Complex.
A Capital Campaign was the answer. Erin had spent thirty years successfully fundraising for various projects. She volunteered to help raise money and was appointed the Fundraising Chairman for a Capital Campaign. Dianne had worked in the family businesses in a financial capacity for over twenty years and was appointed Alamo Committee chairman in May 2007. The Capital Campaign and Master Plan by Ford, Powell and Carson were overwhelmingly approved at the May 2007 DRT convention. Both Erin and Dianne spent much time and money traveling across the state in support of this endeavor. After raising approximately 1.5 million dollars, Erin was fired at the May 2008 convention.
As the fundraising was at a standstill and the need for preservation work even more critical, Erin decided to do what she had said at the beginning. She started Friends of the Alamo, a 501c3 not for profit corporation to build an endowment for the preservation of the Alamo. Dianne continued to serve as Chairman until the end of her term in May 2009 and then joined Erin as co-founder. Our concerns and endeavors continue to be as they have always been. We want the people of the state of Texas, who actually own the Alamo, to have the opportunity to be a part of the effort to make OUR Alamo all it should be. It is 300 years old and there are many problems with the historic buildings. We cannot wait any longer.
Friends of the Alamo, the time is NOW!!!