When employees at the Laurinburg Lowe’s heard about the Scotland County Veterans Garden project earlier this year, they knew it would be the perfect fit for their 2012 “Lowe’s Heroes” project.
“It is the kind of (project) we are looking for. We all want to support our veterans,” said Lowe’s employee Ty Holliday, who worked as a site manager for the landscaping work that Lowe’s employees did at the garden site last week.
Lowe’s employees and members of the local American Legion Post 50 spent all of Friday morning laying yards of sod and planting flowers and trees around the garden memorial, which will officially be opened on Veterans Day in November.
All of the materials and labor were donated by Lowe’s following an employee vote that resulted in the garden being selected.
“Ever since the store opened eight years ago we have been doing (‘Lowe’s Heroes’), trying to stay in the community. And everyone at Lowe’s is very dedicated to our veterans,” said Lowe’s employee Kim Josey as she worked passing squares of sod to other volunteers.
Instrumental in coordinating between Lowe’s and the American Legion has been Dan Skamperle, a veteran and Lowe’s employee himself.
As planned back in the Spring the garden was expected to include four walls built of bricks bearing the names of veterans of the American armed services. Now there are eight walls, each already filled with the names of veterans from area in Scotland County and abroad.
Saying that Post 50 member were “happy and surprised” with the response to the project, Post 50 member Jimmy Bennett said that there will be a special ceremony at the garden on Veterans Day at the conclusion of the group’s normal holiday proceedings.
And garden organizers look at the memorial garden as an ongoing project. Having already grown to honor veterans of every major American armed conflict, including the American Revolution, the project is expected to continue even if the eight walls are all filled. Organizers say they will try to find other space for bricks, not wishing to turn anyone away.
Those interested in dedicating bricks should contact Bennett at 610-5204 or Dewey Pittman at 276-8058. Brick dedications cost $50.
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