Resident-led foundation will bring first veterans memorial to Queen Creek

“One of the main focuses that we wanted to get across to the council was that we're not looking for them to build this memorial. We just want their support."”

Derek Zeigler, president, Queen Creek Veterans Memorial Foundation

By Janet Perez
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Queen Creek is on track to have its first veterans memorial by November 2023.

Recently, the town council approved letting the Queen Creek Veterans Memorial Foundation build the memorial on a circular part of land next to Community Chambers Building.

The foundation, which has applied for nonprofit status, will handle the design and construction of the memorial, as well as pay for it.

The memorial is expected to cost about $350,000, which the foundation plans to pay with individual and corporate donations and by selling personalized pavers that will be placed in the memorial's center.

Derek Zeigler, president of the foundation, first started working on the memorial project when he was taking part in the Queen Creek Citizen Leadership Institute in 2018. The institute helps residents interested in learning how the town works, creating town projects and planning for the town’s future.

“We have to pick a project and I had picked to do a veterans memorial in the town. I presented it to the town council, and everybody was excited about it,” Zeigler said. “I put together a little team of fellow classmates and, as with a lot of things in life, people just kind of started disappearing and before you know it, it was just me left trying to do this, so I kind of shelved it for the time.”

Luckily, a new member of the institute, Chris Moss, picked up the ball and ran with it. Moss is now the foundation’s secretary.

“Fortunately, Chris picked it back up the following year for his project. He reformed that the group with some members from his class and then reached out to me and I jumped back in, and we started working on it. Then COVID hit and we took another break,” Zeigler said.

This time the group stayed together and there are now six dedicated members of the memorial foundation, according to Zeigler.

In November, Moss presented the project once again to town council. There he elaborated on the memorial's design. It will be a 100-foot circle with a perimeter sitting wall, a 45-foot steel wall shaped to look like mountains, military branch emblems, engraved floor pavers and three flag poles.

“The pavers will be a big money maker to support the building of the memorial,” Zeigler said, adding that if the design takes another direction the foundation will work to include a way to keep the memorial personalized.

Currently, the foundation estimates that there will be up to 7,800 pavers costing $35 each. They could net up to $250,000 alone for construction of the memorial. In-kind donations and monetary gifts from the public and businesses would take the memorial across the finish line.

Fundraising for the memorial is expected to take 12 months, ending May 2023. Construction is then expected to take five months ending in November 2023. The group hopes construction will take less times and the memorial can be unveiled on Nov. 11, 2023.

Moss and Zeigler are optimistic about getting the funds to pay for the memorial. Both men say the Queen Creek area has many former military service members and residents appear to be very supportive of veterans.

Zeigler himself is a retired Marine who is now with the Air National Guard. Moss is a career Air Force veteran.

The two also understand why Queen Creek does not already have a memorial. They looked at the rapid and massive growth of the town over the past few years and understand the town has its hands full trying to supply needed infrastructure such as roads. A memorial would not be a top priority yet.

“The Queen Creek Veterans Memorial Foundation prides itself on being able to present the project to the town with plans for design, fundraising and construction already in place. Better still, all the town had to provide was the land and the promise to upkeep the memorial,” Zeigler said.

The foundation will hand over the completed memorial to the town for maintenance and cleaning.

“One of the main focuses that we wanted to get across to the council was that we're not looking for them to build this memorial. We just want their support. We may ask for some things here and there, but we're fully planning and prepared to do this 100%,” Zeigler said. “It was an important thing for us to get across because the town has a lot of things going on with the influx of population that they need to focus on. While the memorial is very important, there are other priorities that the town could be working on, and we are more than capable to take this off their plate and make it successful.”

At a November town council meeting, Moss also assured the councilmembers the memorial's design would complement and add to the town aesthetic.

“It's got to work in the town, it's got to be the right materials, it's got to be a place of reverence and it's got to convey military appreciation,” Zeigler said.

Janet Perez
News Editor | Queen Creek & San Tan Valley
@AzNewsmedia

jperez@iniusa.org

Meet Janet
Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State  University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.

Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.

Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science. 

Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.  

Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.