What started as an idea amongst Loveland High School alumni turned into a community-wide outpouring of support for a memorial that represents all who served. The Loveland Veterans Plaza committee is comprised of four gentlemen, including a few other Loveland High alumni, Ron Albers, Ed Hart, Tony Dumosch, and Gary Hausman, who all fought in the United States military and felt the need for a place for veterans to gather and be remembered in the Loveland community.
The committee has been hard at work for two and a half years and announced to the public the plans for the plaza on Veterans Day 2022. With help from the City of Loveland Parks and Recreation, the plaza has found its home at the front of the Loveland Sports Park. While the plaza has yet to break ground, the plot is picked out and a sign that announces its build is positioned where it will be in the future.
Since there isn’t a current location in Loveland where veterans can gather and memorialize the sacrifices made, the plaza’s goal is to commemorate and represent every branch, war era, and individual's experience while serving.
“It’s inclusive to all war eras, and even those that were considered a skirmish, like Somalia, Grenada, and Panama,” Dumosch said. “We’re trying to include everyone that we possibly can.”
Since the announcement of the plaza, the committee has seen the effects of community outreach and the support they’ve received with their fundraising efforts. Their most recent fundraising event at the Ellis Event Center was a success and even exceeded their goal.
“I think the credibility that we gained with the community through the Ellis Event (Center) established that we’re here for real and we mean business,” Hart said. “We’re going to get it built.”
Many have come forward to express their interest in supporting the build of this project and have just as much interest in seeing the project progress as the committee themselves. Big names like Martin Lind have expressed support and help with the project, marking the start of influential people showing interest.
Volunteer contractors, designers, and other construction related help has started to come forward and offer their services to the project.
“We have some folks just waiting in the wings. It’s been extremely helpful to know they’re committed,” Dumosch said.
The committee recently joined the Chamber of Commerce, an exciting development in their project, where a ribbon cutting ceremony took place on the plot of land where the memorial will one day stand. An unexpected and overwhelming turn out of close to 100 people joined them for the ceremony, including first responders and a council member.
“I show up that afternoon and there are cars everywhere,” Albers said. “There’s a fire truck and an ambulance, there’s first responders. I thought, ‘holy crap,’ this is not a ground breaking, this is just a ribbon cutting.”
While the project has progressed since its public announcement, there’s still much to do before the memorial breaks ground. With multiple fundraising events planned for this summer, the committee is hoping to chip away at their funding goals putting them one step closer to the finished project. Anyone interested in showing support for the Loveland Veterans Plaza can register on the project's website, lovelandveteransplaza.org, and attend fundraising events to help the committee meet its goals. Once finished, the plaza will be a place for anyone to gather to remember and pay respects to those who have served.
Loveland Veterans Plaza Upcoming Fundraising Events
Bowling Fundraising Event
The Loveland Veterans Plaza invites you to join them for a bowling event on June 25th at Sweetheart Lanes, 2320 North Lincoln Avenue, Loveland, CO. For more information go to lovelandveteransplaza.org.
Golf Tournament Fundraising Event
The Mariana Butte Men’s Club will be hosting a golf tournament on August 14 at Mariana Butte Golf Course. For more information go to lovelandveteransplaza.org.
A group of Loveland High School alumni, originally started by the Loveland High JROTC group and led by Sergeant Major Johnson, have come together to provide a place for veterans to gather and community members to remember those who served in the Loveland community. To learn more or to get involved go to lovelandveteransplaza.org.