By KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Photos by LARRY COX
Last year, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Youngsville. Today, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the park’s opening on East Milton Road in Youngsville, Louisiana.
During this morning’s ceremony, a flag-raising ceremony was conducted by Broussard-Larriviere-Trahan VFW Post 9210 in Youngsville, LA. The flags of the United States, Prisoners of War (POW), Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, and Space Force were raised in honor of our veterans.
Speakers included Phil Gallet, Quartermaster of the Broussard-Larriviere-Trahan VFW Post 9210 in Youngsville, LA, Andrew Ward with Acadiana Veterans Alliance, and Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter.
Louis Anzalone generously donated the land for this project. The city is making use of the donated land for multiple purposes which includes the Veterans Memorial Park and a drainage pond. The park features a walking track that caters to the needs of walking enthusiasts.
This initiative is aimed at improving the quality of life for the city’s residents and instilling a sense of pride in them.
The drainage pond has the capacity to store 4,500 cubic feet of water. This will help to improve drainage for Anselm Coulee, which drains into the Vermilion River.
Acadiana Veterans Alliance
After the ribbon cutting, the Acadiana Veteran Alliance’s Ruck & Run for Heroes 10k started at the Veterans Memorial Park. Ruck & Run is a new annual Veterans Day collaboration between the Acadiana Veteran Alliance (AVA), Southside Runners, and the City of Youngsville, Louisiana. Starting and ending at Veterans Park in Youngsville, Ruck & Run is a 10k loop course, non-timed, where participants can choose to run/walk the course or throw a rucksack or backpack on and do a military-style ruck along the way!
Through its Ruck & Run event, the objective of AVA is to showcase the finest aspects of Youngsville, including the newly constructed Veterans Park. Moreover, it aims to serve as a reminder on Veterans Day of the selfless service and sacrifices that veterans and current military personnel make year-round.
The Acadiana Veteran Alliance (AVA) is a 501C3 organization created to support veterans by way of assistance through AVA’s Work and Heal phases. The organization was founded by veteran Andrew Ward in 2020.
Honor someone who served by purchasing a commemorative brick benefiting the AVA and VFW9210 at www.youngsvillelegacy.com.
