Veterans Wall Dedication set for Sept. 4

The Lima City Schools will hold a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for its Veterans Wall of Honor at 11 a.m. Friday Sept. 4, in front of Lima Senior High School, where the wall will be located.

The event will include speakers, proclamations from public officials, music, food, an official ribbon cutting and more. The public is encouraged to attend.

Refreshments will be provided by Texas Roadhouse and Lima Senior's Culinary Program.

The dedication will be a culmination of several years of collecting names of veterans and raising money for the wall. No district funds are being used.

Nearly 800 names will be on the black granite wall, representing graduates of Central, South and Lima Senior high schools who served active duty in the military. The structure was designed to be big enough to add additional names well into the future. How quickly those names can be added will depend on raising additional funds.

Bob Johns, of Johns Memorials, created the wall. He is a Lima Senior graduate and veteran. Elite Builders General Contracting did the work to prepare the site for the wall at no cost to the district. Core Consulting donated design and specification work.

Donations to the wall have come in from around the country, with nearly 100 individuals, businesses, community organizations and others contributing.

Thanks to our largest sponsors donating $5,000 or more: The Lima Senior Class of 1966, Elite Builders, Lima Eagles Aerie 370, Lima City Schools Foundation, Lima Rotary Club, Buckeye Floor and Ceiling, Smith Boughan, the Edgar L. and Dorthy J. Riker Family, and Kesler Family.

Donations should be sent to Beth Jokinen at Lima City Schools, 755 St. Johns Ave., Lima, OH 45804. Checks should be made out to the Lima City Schools Foundation, with “Veterans Wall” written in the memo area.

In the case of bad weather, the event will be held inside Lima Senior.