The crowd of about 150 veterans, their family members and county officials line up for a free lunch courtesy of MISSION BBQ at Friday’s Veterans Appreciation Picnic at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park.
PHOTOS: KENOSHA COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS

Kenosha County hosts inaugural Veterans Appreciation Picnic

Vets and their families gather on a beautiful day at Veterans Memorial Park

By KENOSHA COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS

Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its population in 2019 was estimated to be 169,561, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county is named after the county seat, Kenosha, the fourth largest city in Wisconsin.

About 150 people turned out Friday for the inaugural Veterans Appreciation Picnic at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park.

County Executive Samantha Kerkman hosted the event for veterans and their families, with support from the county Division of Veterans Services and the Division of Parks.

Parks Director Matthew Collins leads a tour group to the site of the Army memorial shelter, now under construction, during Friday’s Veterans Appreciation Picnic at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park.

MISSION BBQ in Kenosha provided free lunch for the guests, while transportation from the American Heroes Café at Festival Foods in Kenosha was offered courtesy of Dousman Transport.

“Really, what today’s all about is thanking you and showing you what’s available at this beautiful park,” Kerkman told the crowd.

The Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park is located on 335 acres west of Highway KD and north of Highway F in the towns of Randall and Wheatland. Park amenities include the Veterans Honor Plaza, the 39-acre Freedom Lake and more than five miles of walking trails.

Now under construction and expected to open this summer are a permanent restroom facility near the honor plaza and a shelter honoring Army veterans. The latter is the first of a series of planned shelters that will be dedicated to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Parks Director Matthew Collins speaks at Friday’s Veterans Appreciation Picnic at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park while County Executive Samantha Kerkman and County Board Supervisor/state Rep. Amanda Nedweski look on.
Kenosha County Veterans Services Director Ali Nelson speaks during Friday’s Veterans Appreciation Picnic at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park while County Executive Samantha Kerkman looks on.

Learn more: More details about the park are available at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/1658/Kenosha-County-Veterans-Memorial-Park, and more information about the Kenosha County Veterans Service Office is at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/368/Veterans.

Veterans and their supporters are also encouraged to visit the Kenosha County Veterans Honor Portal — an online tool that includes Tribute Trail self-guided tour of veteran landmarks across the county, as well as the Veterans Honor Registry, a place for Kenosha County veterans and their families to share their stories of service. A Veterans History feature also debuted recently. The portal is available at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/VeteransPortal.

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