Wal-Mart has given a $12.5-million credit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington so the project can get its construction permit and commence building, reports the Associated Press.

Wal-Mart previously gave $1-million to the project. The memorial has raised $100-million of the $120-million needed for the project but now faces the tough task of including security measures to protect the planned memorial from extremist groups, the news agency reports. The project’s executive architect says the memorial organizers are seeking help from the Bush administration and Congress to resolve the security issue.

(Free registration is required to view this article on the Washington Post Web site.)