Tuesday November 11th is Veterans Day. The Support our Soldiers Foundation in Cedaredge will be hosting two events to honor our nation's veterans. The first event is the grand opening of a new memorial park taking place on Veterans Day at 2:00 pm at 100 SE Buffalo Avenue in Cedaredge.
“This is a dream come true for me," said Cathy Meskel, founder of the non-profit organization in Cedaredge honoring veterans.
She says through a series of miracles and the generous support of a benefactor she purchased the new location where 13 marble monuments will welcome visitors to the park. The memorial site was completed just a few weeks before the upcoming Veterans Day holiday.
Work on the marble monuments, donated by Colorado Stone Quarries in Delta, depicts scenes from World War I to Afghanistan. Meskel says the creating the memorial monuments was a time consuming collaborative effort involving several local artists.
Numerous community members, many who are Veterans, pitched in providing construction, electrical, and excavation work. Meskel says one vet made two benches for visitors while another helped secure a large steel beam for the American and POW flag.
Meskel, who began working on the behalf of veterans as a young girl, says she expects plenty of tears to flow during the ceremony next Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a lot of tears, this is going to mean a lot to everyone in the community," she said.
Following the ceremony, participants are invited to a reception at the Williams Cellars Tasting Room inside the Apple Shed.
The next event is the 14th Annual 2025 Stars and Stripes Military Ball November 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Cedaredge Civic Center. The evening will feature live music by the Cimarron Band, a POW Missing Man Ceremony, a challenge coin presentation, and a steak dinner catered by A&M Creations. Veterans attend free, with supporter tickets available for $60. To learn more about the Foundation, the monuments, or upcoming plans for the park, visit supportoursoldiersfoundation.org.
