The Union West Rotary, a civic organization based in Indian Trail, has donated $21,500 toward the construction of the Indian Trail Veterans Memorial Garden.
The donation, which was presented to the Indian Trail Town Council on Tuesday, Dec. 11, will go a long way toward bringing the memorial project to completion. Once erected in front of the Indian Trail Town Hall, the memorial will give local veterans and their families a place to gather while serving as an educational opportunity for children throughout the region.
“I commend you on doing the Veterans Memorial,” Union West Rotary President Larry Helms told Council members. “To me that’s one of the things this country needs tremendously. And one of the reasons we have stepped up is we are tired of people not understanding how to respect the flag, how to respect the National Anthem, and that they don’t understand that freedom isn’t free.”
Union West Rotary hopes to encourage local schools to visit the memorial so students can learn from educational plaques that will be available for them to read around the perimeter of the structure. The memorial also will include plaques representing veterans who have served.
“It’s hard to put into words how much we appreciate the support of Union West Rotary for this project,” Indian Trail Mayor Michael Alvarez said. “Not only their financial support, but also their support in including the community in this very important process. The Indian Trail Veterans Memorial Garden is something that all our residents should be able to enjoy and know that they played a large part in making it happen.”
Anyone interested in purchasing a plaque in honor of a loved one who served should call Town Hall at 704-821-5401. The memorial is expected to open by the spring. Video of the donation ceremony is available at https://youtu.be/8p1ttT3NF84.