Veterans park a survey away from start of construction

The Cherokee County Veterans Appreciation Park will be built adjacent to the Cherokee County Veterans Museum and Irene Park on Logan Street in Gaffney. A survey is one of the few obstacles blocking plans for a $500,000 Cherokee County Veterans Appreciation Park.

A barren field is all that exists behind a sign announcing the proposed veterans park on the site of the former Gaffney Fire Department substation on Montgomery Street. A thermometer tracking fundraising efforts needs to be repainted to reflect the $300,000 raised towards the project's estimated $500,000 cost.

The Cherokee County Veterans Day Organization is in a holding pattern while it waits for a topographical land survey to be done on the park site, project co-chairperson Linda Brown said. The veterans park will be located next to the Cherokee County Veterans Museum and Irene Park.

The park will have walkways, benches and walls engraved with the names of local veterans who have been honorably discharged. Granite walls have been ordered and will be engraved with the names of county veterans.

"Once the survey is done, we will start grading and putting in the walkways for the veterans park," Brown said. "We hope to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in a few weeks."

A $200,000 state competitive grant has provided the lion's share of funding for the park. Additional funds have been raised through donations and merchandise sales such as T-shirts, hats and booklets.

The veterans organizations still needs approximately $200,000 to complete the project, Brown said.

"We are just going to take a leap of faith and start work on the veterans park," Brown said. "We think once county residents see what it's going to look like, the donations will come in so we can go ahead and complete the project."

Veteran groups are still accepting pictures and articles about county veterans for a book that will be available on Veterans Day. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 30.

Anyone who wishes to have a veteran's name included should contact the Cherokee County Veteran's Office. The VA office must have an original copy of the honorable discharge in its records before a veteran's name can be added.

For more information, call the veterans affairs office at (864) 487-2579.