Draper opens Gold Star Memorial at Draper Park with family input and Woody Williams Foundation monument

Draper City has opened a Gold Star Memorial plaza at Draper Park near the flagpole, officials said on the city’s podcast. The project was developed with input from Gold Star families, local sponsors and a monument supplied by the Woody Williams Foundation.

Kelly Schallberg, Draper’s assistant city manager, said a committee of Gold Star families guided the memorial’s design and that local donors supported landscaping and site preparation. "We had a great committee, made up of several gold star families, and so they gave their input, and we wanted to really, you know, make something special," Schallberg said.

City officials described features that include a monument from the Woody Williams Foundation, flags and benches representing each branch of the armed forces, a plaque honoring unknown service members and a plaza area tied into existing park space. The host noted that the site was used for the city’s Veterans Day ceremony and described a ceremony that included a retired Vietnamese rear admiral as a featured speaker.

The podcast did not provide construction costs, exact funding breakdowns, or the names of all sponsors; officials said several local residents and vendors contributed and that the city prioritized family input. The city encouraged visitors to view the memorial at Draper Park by the old pavilion and flagpole.