Veterans Memorial Park gets an update before Monday’s Memorial Day program
Perry School Foundation, VFW and local American Legion members gathered on May 10 to plant flowers around the Veterans Memorial Park.
The park received an update ahead of Monday’s Memorial Day service, which is moving this year from Violet Hill Cemetery to the memorial park, located at 8th and Bateman.
“We have thought for a while that this park needs to be spruced up,” said Linda Kaufman, with Perry School Foundation.
The group started with the idea of lighting the park. Perry VFW and Minburn American Legion members recently helped dig all of the conduit for the electrical.
“I drove by one time and I knew this was here, but I hadn’t spent any time here. It was toward dusk and you could hardly see anything. We could see the lit flag and that was it,” Don Richardson said. “I thought, how could we put some night lighting around here just so if you’re taking a walk you can find the serenity in here and honor all past and present servicemen.”
Richardson and Kaufman said the park will be lit at light. The lights can also be programmed for the various holidays, including red and green at Christmas and red, white and blue for the Fourth of July.
Along with the lighting, Kaufman said they wanted to set off the memorial with flowers. The flower bed was planted with poppies, red and white coneflowers and blue salvia. She added that they are looking to add additional benches down the road.
“We would just like to see the area used more, a lot of people don’t even know it’s here,” Kaufman said of the Veterans Memorial Park. “Between the lighting and the flowers, we’re hoping that people will drive by and notice it.”
The Perry School Foundation has received funds for the project from 100+ People for Perry and the Bock Family Foundation.
“We’ve had a lot of support, which is really nice,” Kaufman said.
The Perry School Foundation also replaced flag poles that were damaged from the derecho at Violet Hill Cemetery last year. The group put it out on Facebook and asked community members to respond if they wanted to purchase a pole in memory of someone.
“We had people answering immediately, it was really neat,” Kaufman said. “Now we have the plaques at the base to tell you who it’s in memory of. It’s really pretty now with all of the flags flying.”
The spotlight will move from Violet Hill Cemetery back to the Veterans Memorial Park on Memorial Day. The Perry VFW Post 2060 will hold a Memorial Day program at 1 p.m. Monday at the park.
“We hope that everyone comes out and brings their lawn chairs with them and remembers all those who have fallen this Memorial Day, that’s what it’s all about,” Richardson said.
This article originally appeared on Perry Chief: Perry School Foundation, VFW work to update Veterans Memorial Park
