Artist Bubba Sorensen will arrive in Jefferson early next week to begin transforming the 30-ton rock east of the Greene County Fairgrounds into the Greene County Freedom Rock®.
The Freedom Rock will be unveiled Thursday, Oct. 27, at 4 pm in a brief ceremony. The event will be followed by a fundraiser soup supper at Clover Hall. Proceeds from the supper will go toward the project.
According to Freedom Rock committee chair Dawn Rudolph, the first phase of the project began with securing the rock. Other counties have paid as much as $20,000 for buying and moving their rock. Greene County’s rock was donated by Flack Excavating and moved by the county secondary roads department as an in-kind donation.
Yet to come on Phase I is painting the rock and installing lighting and security.
Phase II, which will come next spring if fundraising is successful, will include landscaping, flag poles and benches.
The committee has about $12,000 on hand, Rudolph said. Of that, $8,850 came from the city of Jefferson’s hotel/motel tax fund. A fundraiser held by the Friends of Rippey in August added close to $1,000.
Cobblestone Hotel is donating lodging for Sorensen while he is in Jefferson and several local restaurants have agreed to assist with his meals.
Total cost of both phases of the project is $45,000.
Donations for the Greene County Freedom Rock Park can be made to VFW Post 9599 with “Freedom Rock” in the memo line. An account has also been established at Peoples Trust & Savings Bank to accept donations to the project.
