by Donna Stadum, Secretary, Pinal County Veterans Memorial Foundation
The Pinal County Veterans Memorial Foundation was established in 2010 by retired Pinal County Sheriff Frank Reyes and late Casa Grande Attorney Thomas McCarville. Our Mission Statement reads: To Build a Memorial to Honor all Pinal County Veterans who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice.
The intention of the memorial will be a site of beauty, honor, peace and respect. It will be a place for all individuals and groups to use for services, schools to teach the history of our county and the public to come and reflect on the sacrifices our fallen heroes have made for our freedoms of this great nation. The location of the memorial will be in Casa Grande at the Ed Hooper Park. Lease agreement was signed into place, January 2016 by City Council.
The memorial will be a park like setting with the centerpiece being the “Memorial Circle”. A bronze statue of a serviceman from the waist up, holding the folded American flag will be placed on a pedestal representing the likeness of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Board of Directors has hired Capital R Construction from Casa Grande to be the general contractor. We are in the design phase now and working closely with Rusty Riggs and his architect to update the design and get plans to the City for approval. We anticipate having new renditions for viewing at the 7th Annual Bowling Tournament on August 17th at Cotton Bowl Lanes. The goal is to be able to have a ribbon cutting and ground breaking in time for Veterans Day, 2019. More to come.
The foundation Board of Directors is comprised of veteran and civilian volunteers, who have the same vision as its founders. As a 501(c)3 organization, all funds raised have been donations, fundraising events, “My Fallen Hero” book sales and community outreach. We currently have just over $170,000 and initial estimates to build the memorial are between $300-$400,000. If you wish to make a donation, find out more about the foundation or come to one of our meetings/events. Please visit: www.pcvmf.org
