By Linda Jones, Executive Director
When I came to The Lakeside at Amelia Island, the previous engagement director had been working with the veterans to build a “wall of bricks.” The original idea, planning, and ordering was all done by the veterans. Unfortunately, their initial plan to place the red bricks on the entrance wall fell apart.
Since we don’t personally own the wall, as a privately owned community, the project came to a screeching halt. The veterans had already collected money, ordered bricks, and had started the process when we realized we could not attach the bricks to the entrance wall.
Rather than scrap the idea altogether, I called the engravers and had the color of the bricks changed to beige, and thought we could pave the area around the flagpole since it was on the ground and not attached to the building. It took some time and some effort to find someone to come out and give me a bid. I also did a lot of praying that it would look the way it did in my mind.
But the paver company did a fantastic job! We replaced the flagpole in the spring after it was damaged by the hurricane, so this addition really makes it stand out. The best part is that we can add bricks as new veterans move into the community. We will still need to replace some greenery but overall, I am very happy with and proud of the project. The veterans were happy too—they got to display their bricks in a way that will be memorialized for a long time!
We plan to have a simple ceremony on Labor Day to dedicate the area to our Veterans and their service.
Want to see our community—and the memorial—for yourself? Call us at 904-637-1559 to schedule a tour.
