Steering committee says America 250 statue fundraising nears $180,000; dedication planned for July 4

Gary Clark and Jay Lenore Bressler updated the commission on the America 250 Path to Freedom Project, a fundraising and public-education effort to add a bronze monument to Veterans Memorial Park honoring participants in the American Revolution.

Jay Lenore Bressler, a member of the project steering committee and honorary regent of the Lakeland chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, told commissioners the committee had "raised in cash, mostly cash, and very secure pledges $180,000 of the $250,000 of the budget." She said the funds came from more than 50 individuals and organizations and that the artist is completing the model for the statue, with fabrication expected this winter and dedication planned for July 4.

Bressler described the statue's subject as Mary Catherine Goddard, the printer of the Declaration of Independence, and said the project includes educational components: curriculum drafted for Polk County public, private and homeschool teachers, volunteer docent scripts for park tours and student outreach tied to a high-school art competition whose winners worked with the sculptor. The steering committee reported ongoing public forums and media outreach to raise awareness through 2026.

Commissioners expressed support for the project. Bressler said donations can be made through the GiveWell Foundation website under "America 250 Path to Freedom," and thanked the commission for early encouragement that committee members said sustained the campaign through initial fundraising.

No commission action was required; the update was informational.