As Alaska remembers today as the day that Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor was ambushed in World War II, a community fundraising effort to install an Iron Mike statue in the Soldotna Creek Park announced it has reached $15,000 in almost five months.
Former Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor Dave Carey is spear-heading the fundraising.
Carey: “To get the statue, the 5′ 5″ bronze Iron Mike, will cost us $48,000.”
Iron Mike is a de facto name of monuments honoring service men and women; the original statue was designed by Leah Hiebert in the 1950’s and placed outside of Ft. Bragg.
The Soldotna City Council passed a resolution in January saying they supported the endeavor.
Beginning July 4, 2015, Soldotna’s Iron Mike Project set a one year timeline to accept donations for the statue which Carey says will honor all veterans and current service members.
Donations can be dropped off at the Soldotna VFW, Kenai American Legion or Kenai and Soldotna Elks Lodges.
