Solano County 4-HEROES Ground breaking Ceremony for California Army National Guard Memorial Park

Since the beginning of the year, Solano County 4-H youth have been combing area businesses seeking sponsors for the 4-HEROES Project construction. This is a very ambitious project with a construction budget of $200,000. We are pleased to announce that donations have reached the 60% level, sufficient to break ground.  The ground breaking ceremony will be held Friday, May 4th, 4:00 PM at the Fairfield National Guard Armory, 510 Parker Rd. Fairfield.  Local dignitaries, National Guard Command Officers, 4-H members and their families will be in attendance.

The mission of the 4-HEROES project is to create Lawson Memorial Park, in memory of Sergeant First-Class Isaac Lawson and others who have sacrificed their lives in service to their country during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  This is an environmentally respectful, youth driven service-learning project focused on supporting Solano County's local military personnel and their loved ones, through the development of a 1/2 acre memorial and recreational park adjacent to the Fairfield National Guard Armory on Parker Road.

Army National Guard members, 4-H members and families have volunteered to supply a portion of the labor needed. In addition, we have received commitments for the following major elements:

Platinum Level Sponsor ($10,000 and above) - Army National Guard 579th Brigade (Earthwork); Martin's Metal (Memorial Trellis Fabrication); MTW Group (Project Plans); Valley Iron (Memorial Trellis Steel).

Gold Level Sponsor ($5,000 to $9,999)  - Jelly Belly Candy Co. ($5,000); Pacific Mountain Surveys (Surveying & Construction Staking); Reyff Electric (Electrical).

Silver Level Sponsor ($2,500 to $4,999) - Army National Guard (Memorial Statue); Ferriera Landscaping (labor); Green Dreams Landscaping (Materials & Labor); Steve Cole (Landscape Labor).

We have received numerous smaller donations which will allow us to begin construction. However, in order to complete the project, we still need: culvert materials; decomposed granite and bender board; erosion control materials;  exercise station equipment; formwork materials; hydro seeding;  ironwork labor; masonry (including Napa Stone) and labor; metal pipe and fittings; painting; plumbing labor; rock for dry creek bed; and redwood for trellis.

Upon its completion, Lawson Memorial Park will serve 170 military personnel and their 130 families attached to the 49th Military Police Brigade. A quiet grotto area will serve as the focal point of the park, elevated on a gentle hill.  It will house the memorial statue honoring all fallen service personnel, and benches with covered trellises for peaceful reflection. At the entrance to Lawson Memorial Park will be a ceremony staging area, to be used by up to 300 military personnel and their families.

A small concrete V.I.P. seating area is planned with the Army National Guard Insignia etched into the concrete. Additional amenities planned for the park include a jogging path with exercise stations along the park perimeter; six victory garden boxes for use by Army National Guard family members; and a covered, built-in BBQ area to accommodate 300 people.  The park is slated for completion in October 2012. 

To learn more about the project visit http://cesolano.ucdavis.edu/4-H_Program/4HEROES/

To make monetary, materials or labor donations, contact:

Deb Galway, Solano County 4-H Volunteer at (707) 455-8211 or email grdndctr@solanowireless.com or

Valerie Williams, Solano County 4-H Program Representative, at (707) 784-1319 or email vawilliams@ucdavis.edu.