Building bridges

Renee Coventry, regent of the Ocala Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, displays a dog tag on June 29, 2024, at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park that can be earned by youth in programs offered by the DAR in partnership with the park. [Photo by Andy Fillmore]

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Posted June 30, 2024 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

The first ever Kids Day was held June 29 at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. Although hot temperatures and unsettled weather damped attendance, nine volunteers readied games and made notes to prepare for the next session. Volunteers also manned the 2,700-square-foot exhibit center located in a building adjacent to the park.

The Ocala Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Ocala Chapter of the Children of the American Revolution have partnered with Jeffrey Askew, director of Marion County Veteran Services and overseer of the park, to provide the program for youth, which combines activities such as corn hole playing with tours of the park monuments and the adjacent Veterans Exhibit Center, where guides cover artifacts from America’s military dating back to World War I.

DAR volunteer Robbyn Mast feels the program is timely.

“We need (youth programs) more than ever now,” Mast said. She feels the country may be losing a “whole generation” as far as learning the history of America and its meaning.

Stephanie Price, a DAR volunteer, said programs like Kids Day are a “great way to get children involved and learn history.”

Kathy Hines, also a DAR volunteer, said the program additionally honors veterans.

The Kids Day program, which is open to the public, is aimed at teaching youth American history and instilling a “deeper appreciation for the sacrifices” made by military veterans, according to Renee Coventry, regent of the Ocala Chapter of the DAR.

A centerpiece of the program is the “Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park Activity Book,” which has activities for youth ages 2 to 18 based on the park and exhibit center.

A scavenger hunt trivia game in the book includes numerous questions based on monuments seen in the park, such as the dates of Desert Shield/Desert Storm and exhibits in the center like questions about World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and 9/11 to the present and the symbolic POW table.

The book also explains a veteran is “someone who serves their nation through military service” and when a service member “makes the ultimate sacrifice” and gives their life for the country, their family is considered a Gold Star Family.

The activity book was printed in a DAR project with a $2,500 budget and 500 books were published, Coventry stated. About 25 books were distributed to home schooled children.

The books are available through the park office and are part of the Kids Day program and events like a Boston Tea Party gathering last fall, which involved about 30 youth.

Coventry’s sons, Samuel, 18, and Joshua, 21, were on hand for the program. Samuel is the CAR president and Joshua is the organization’s historian.

DAR member Emily Rassam and her husband Abe Rassam brought their children Richard,11 months, Audrey, 2, and Henry, 3, to enjoy the Kids Day activities.

“(Our children) are very excited about a playground planned for the park (and want to) get their friends and play,” Emily Rassam said.

The six-plus acre Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park offers 5,000 memorial bricks, 200 benches and the Court of Flags, Logan Catalanotto’s Eagle Scout project, with a flag flying for each of the 50 states.

Holly Denton, a DAR volunteer, said she had left the area for a time and was “impressed” by enhancements to the park.

The park’s Medal of Honor Plaza includes a monument to Marion County resident Hammett Bowen who gave his life to protect his comrades from an incoming hand grenade during the Vietnam War.

A monument sponsored by AMVETS Fort McCoy Post 19 honors service members from Marion County who died since January 2001: Chad W. Lake, Robert Blair, Daniel A. Suplee, William Crow Jr., Jason Koutroubas, Patrick Malone, Gary Gooch Jr., Markie T. Sims, Roberto Skelt and Jalisha V. Tucker.

Askew said the Kids Day program is an example of “accessibility” to the park.

Meanwhile, the park support organization, Friends of Marion County’s Veterans Park Foundation, continues programs to preserve the park, add monuments and educate visitors.

FMCVPF Chairman Ron Oppinger said the foundation recently provided an educational tour of the park for about 25 youth being mentored by the local outreach, Kut Different.

To learn more about the park, go to marionfl.org and marionvetpark.com