Veterans and Families receives Parks and Trails Steward Award

SEELEY LAKE- The Missoula County Parks and Trails Advisory Board and the Missoula County Commissioners presented the 2022 Parks and Trails Steward Award to the Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake (VFSL) in the summer sun at Veterans Memorial Garden on Thursday, June 16. 

VFSL was founded in 2012, continuing the civic work after the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 7992 and the Ladies Auxiliary was disbanded. According to Jackson Lee, the Parks and Trail Specialist, the VFSL plays a vital role in community stewardship efforts and the stewardship of local parkland. 

"This event is important to us because we really want to make it a point to recognize the great work of our community partners," Lee said. "Our park system would not function without their efforts. It's such a great resource for folks here in Seeley Lake and for people that visit to honor the veterans that are recognized on the plaque."  

The VFSL was also presented with a proclamation by Commissioner Dave Strohmaier on behalf of the Missoula County Board of Commissioners. Barbara Knopp, the president of VFSL, accepted the plaques during the ceremony.

As part of the VFSL dedication to recognizing veterans, Knopp said they recently finished improvements to the Veteran Memorial Garden. 

In 2020, Darryl Wolery came up with the idea to build a gazebo to make it easier to preserve the veterans' memorial plaques. Knopp said he drew a blueprint of ideas and oversaw the project. Others who assisted with the project included Cole Henrekin, Gary Pelletier, Elden Barbieri, Jon Kimble, Lee Binder, Mark Darrow, Scott Davis, Shawn Knopp, Tim Berry and Rockey Kennedy.

She said she was pleasantly surprised to receive the award and glad their hard work at the long-standing monument at the Veterans Memorial Garden is being recognized. 

"I know my guys have worked really hard to get to this point, but I didn't expect an award," Knopp said. "So that was nice. And it shows how hard my guys work. So we all benefit."

 

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