Next month is the groundbreaking for the North Ridgeville Veterans Memorial at the corner of Bainbridge Road and State Route 83 near South Central Park.
Mark Steinbrunner, president of the North Ridgeville Veterans Memorial Committee, said the idea was born several years ago. He visited the News 5 Cleveland studios and appeared on Good Morning Cleveland- Saturday to discuss the project.
"Driving through town, we didn’t have a veterans memorial," Steinbrunner said. "So, I wanted to put a committee together and see if we could build something for the city and for the veterans."
More than $250,000 has been raised through the generosity of businesses, organizations and citizens. Steinbrunner said it's been amazing to see so many people donate and ask what they can do to make the memorial a reality.
He said the memorial will have a water feature, conflict stones, service flags and a way for visitors to learn more about veterans and the wars and conflicts they fought.
QR codes placed around the memorial will be able to link guests to additional information and resources.
"We want this to become an educational piece also," Steinbrunner said.
He retired from the Ohio Air National Guard in 2005 and is a teacher in Cleveland. He said helping younger generations learn about veterans and the freedoms they fought for is vital.
He said fundraising continues with individuals able to purchase pavers that will display the engraved names of any veteran. A small paver costs $80. A large paver is $150.
The memorial is expected to be finished by Memorial Day 2024.
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