Dedication adds to Buffalo Grove Veterans Day event

The annual Veterans Day celebration in Buffalo Grove will be a little more special this year with the dedication of a newly designed memorial at Veterans Park.

The village's park district has been working on the memorial since earlier this year. The $275,000 project includes five granite monuments with seals of the five military branches. The community also had a chance to buy paving bricks to honor members of the military.

The park district ceremonies will start at 12:15 p.m. Saturday with refreshments at Buffalo Grove High School, 1100 W. Dundee Road.

Terri Ebner, the senior coordinator for the park district, said Heather Braoudakis will be performing patriotic songs before the program officially begins.

"She performs a beautiful patriotic program," Ebner said.

At 1:30 p.m., the Marine Air Control Group 48 out of Grayslake will present colors. Stan Nathanson, commander of VFW Post 235, will speak, along with Allen Lynch, recipient of the Medal of Honor.

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, park board President Larry Reiner, and former park Commissioner Karen Meadows also will speak.

The Champion Eagles Color Guard from American Legion Post 208 will present the flags for the military branches.

Ebner said the park district started the veterans program four years ago.

"It was so successful, we moved it to Buffalo Grove High School," she said. "We expect somewhere around 500 people to come."

At 3:30 p.m., the group will move four miles to Veterans Park, 1300 N. Weiland Road in Buffalo Grove, to dedicate the new memorial.

The colors again will be presented, and speakers will include Reiner, park district Director Mike Rylko and village Trustee Jeff Braiman.

"It's a well-deserved day to our veterans," Ebner said.

For more information, call the park district at (847) 850-2117.