Military Ames will be unveiling the new monument for the Kimberley Veterans Memorial Park on July 8 at 11 a.m. after a colour party parade. The granite monument contains pieces of the old cenotaph and will be the centre piece of the new park.
This week, the last of the city sidewalks around the park were completed, sod was laid and trees were planted.
Cindy Postnikoff of Military Ames says she hopes the entire community comes out to the unveiling.
“Military Ames has created and developed the Kimberley Veterans Memorial Park and we are so excited to show it to the community on July 8,” she said. “We’ve got veterans from Montana to Edmonton coming to support our vets at the ceremony. Everyone is invited to attend.”
Postnikoff says Military Ames is also planning a dinner for all the veterans for the evening of the unveiling. She is hoping community members might want to donate a dish to the dinner.
Postnikoff says the projected budget for the park was $300,000 and Military Ames has raised $145,000 in cash and about $160,000 in kind.
“The in kind was raised through labour, materials, machines and contractors from Kimberley and Cranbrook,” she said. “We are so grateful for the support.
Fundraising for more cash will continue to finish off the last bits of the park and potentially, launch phase II of the park, which includes a memorial wall.