Veterans Memorial in Edina dedicated at ceremony May 25

Edina Rotarians joined with the community to dedicatethe Veterans Memorial at Utley Park in Edina on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band played beginning at 9:30 a.m. The dedication was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Edina Mayor Jim Hovland and state and locally elected official spoke, including Rotary Club of Edina member, Rep. Ron Erhardt. Rotarian Ret. Gen. Dennis Schulstad was the master of ceremonies at the event.. 

 

 

According to information on the city's website, Edina’s rich and proud legacy of patriotic service extends back to the Civil War. The Edina Veterans Memorial will be a unifying symbol of shared community values in honoring all Edina veterans of our nation’s armed forces—past, present and future. The 32 native and adopted sons of Edina who died in the time of war will be individually remembered at the new Veteran’s Memorial to be built at Utley Park in Edina.

 

 

The Veterans Memorial Committee reached its fundraising goal and began construction of the memorial in the fall of 2014. Fundraising for the memorial generated over $450,000.

 

In 2010, the memorial was budgeted to cost $450,000. Over the past three years, members of the Veterans Memorial Committee were busy visiting with donors and state government leaders. Those efforts have resulted in the committee raising $196,380 in private cash donations, including a $100,000 contribution from Dave Frauenshuh and his family and $20,000 from the Edina Rotary Foundation. In addition, the Edina City Council approved $39,461 in City funds, the state of Minnesota issued a Legacy Fund grant in the amount of $9,900 available upon completion of the project and the State legislature issued a general matching grant in the amount of $225,000.

Rotary Club of Edina members are encouraged to attend this special dedication ceremony on Memorial Day to honor our veterans and our partnership with the City on this project.