By Devonte Demby

The Natchez Democrat

VIDALIA — For the Vidalia Garden Club, honoring veterans is a year-round mission.

The VGC will follow this creed with the Blue Star Memorial Brick Project, a foundation made of bricks each engraved with the name of a veteran.

“In a day and time like this, it is such an honor to give respect to our veterans,” VGC project chairperson Ann Thompson said. “We don’t realize what these men do for us. It’s a great way to remember and honor my father.”

As the project reaches its midway point, the VGC continues to reach out to the Miss-Lou for help in paying respect to its veterans, with bricks engraved in their honor.

The bricks will be placed in front of the Blue Star Memorial, a marker that pays tribute to U.S. armed forces.

The Blue Star Memorial is located in Vidalia on Carter Street, next to the Concordia Chamber of Commerce office.

The engraved bricks sell for $25 each and may honor any living or deceased member of the U.S. armed forces.

Purchasers may select three to four lines of information, which will include the honoree’s name, rank, years of service and the war in which the honorees served.

The project will need approximately 500 bricks to fill the area, which is roughly 12-by-12 foot.

The VGC has been working on this project for a year and already has 149 bricks.

“We are going to order more,” Thompson said.

However, before the project can be completed, Thompson said more work has to be done.

Although the structure of the Blue Star Memorial is fine, a paint job is needed to restore its colors.

“We would like to restore the marker (Blue Star Memorial) before wrapping up the project,” Thompson said. “We have a gentleman from Florida who will restore the marker next spring.”

VGC members hope to complete the project by April of next year, and Thompson could not be happier.

Project co-chairperson Kathleen Stevens has been moved by this project as well.

“This is a project that truly brings into focus the sacrifices the people of our community have made for this country,” Stevens said. “Each etched brick represents a man or woman who was willing to courageously face danger.”

Brick order forms are available at the Concordia Chamber of Commerce office or by calling Thompson at 318-336-5018 or Stevens at 318-336-7057.