Located on the Kalamazoo River at the East Gateway to the City of Kalamazoo, Rose Park is a beautiful memorial to veterans everywhere.  Kalamazoo Sunrise Rotary has been involved in Rose Park since 1991, and led efforts to construct the memorial and beautify the park.  Through generous contributions and support from organizations, and individuals, the Rose Park Veterans Memorial became a reality and many proud Rotarians and citizens witnessed the dedication on Veterans Day, November 11, 2001.

 

Nearly ten years after the dedication, we found it was time to refresh and renew the park. Our new lighting system, which replaced ground fixtures, is pole mounted,  lighting the American Flags that fly proudly over the park at all times after dark.  With community support, we met the goal to raise $50,000 to cover all expenses required to replace the ground fixtures and improve the lighting at the Park.  

 

Now in the present, a partnership has formed to solve the age-old problem of maintaining an accurate inventory of the over 5,000 Veteran Memorial bricks located in the Rose Park Veterans Memorial in the City of Kalamazoo. Partners in the project include: the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo-Sunrise, the City of Kalamazoo Parks Department and the team at Wightman.  Click here to locate your brick.

 

Kalamazoo Sunrise Rotary offers you the opportunity to make an online gift to the Rose Park Veterans Memorial Endowed Fund, at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. Donations made to the endowed fund will be used for ongoing maintenance of the park.

 

Click here to make a secure, instant contribution to the Rose Park Veterans Memorial Endowed Fund using your credit card.

 

Your gift to the Rose Park Veterans Memorial Endowed Fund is a gift to a component of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.  Because the Community Foundation has exclusive control over the contributed assets, your gift is subject to the Community Foundation's authority to redirect donations received to another beneficiary without approval if the purpose of the fund is deemed no longer widely beneficial or necessary, incapable of fulfillment, or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community. 

 

If you would like to honor a Serviceman or woman, please consider purchasing a brick at Rose Park.  Brochure may be downloaded by clicking here. 

 

Please note that bricks will be placed in the Park twice a year, just prior to the Memorial Day and Veterans Day Holidays.  To allow ordering, shipment and placement of bricks, orders and payment must be received by the following deadlines:

 

Bricks ordered no later than March 15 will be placed for Memorial Day

 

Bricks ordered no later than August 1 will be placed for Veterans Day