Groundbreaking for Howard County Veterans Monument is June 29

A groundbreaking ceremony for a long-awaited monument and 26,000-square-foot park in tribute to Howard County’s veterans and military families will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2019, at 9 a.m. at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront.

The ceremony will be hosted by the Howard County Veterans Foundation, Inc., in partnership with the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, The Howard Hughes Corporation, and Columbia Association.

The event will take place at the site of the future Veterans Monument, located on the shore of Lake Kittamaqundi adjacent to Whole Foods Market on Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. The ceremonial groundbreaking will also include remarks by Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball Jr., Howard Hughes Corporation Regional President Greg Fitchitt, Columbia Association President/CEO Milton W. Matthews, and Howard County Veterans Foundation President Robert Gillette. Gillette will also serve as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Neighborhood Square will be named for longtime Howard County resident and community leader Vivian C. Bailey, better known as “Ms. Millie,” in recognition of her military service during World War II and her lifelong commitment to public service. The new park, to be known as the “Vivian C. ‘Millie’ Bailey Neighborhood Square,” is being developed by Howard Hughes Corporation as part of the Downtown Columbia redevelopment effort. The multi-use park will also serve as home for the Howard County Veterans Monument, which is being developed by the Howard County Veterans Foundation, Inc. The Foundation has raised $375,000, nearly one-third of its $1.2 Million goal for construction and ongoing maintenance of the monument. Sources of funding to-date include in-kind and cash contributions from Howard Hughes Corporation and other local businesses, as well as a one-time grant from Howard County and unsolicited pledges and donations from private donors.

“We could not be more pleased to name this park for Ms. Millie Bailey,” said Robert Gillette, president of the Howard County Veterans Foundation, Inc. “This park will have three areas of programming. One area is a community gathering space, or ‘free speech’ zone. The others are a play area for children as well as the home site of the veterans monument.” Each area of the park represents the three main service areas of its namesake.

For more information on this event, please visit http://www.howardcountyveterans.org. For press inquiries, general questions or to find out how to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Veterans Monument Project, contact Robert Gillette at 443-668-1037 or info@howardcountyveterans.org.