A handful of volunteers and the city of Bremen are looking for help from area residents in renovating and expanding the Bremen Veterans Park, located on Hamilton Avenue.

The park, which was created in the early 1970s, could use some sprucing up, according to Bremen Mayor Sharon Sewell.

“We’re not trying to compete with the Tallapoosa Veterans Park,” Sewell said in a recent City Council meeting. “But we would like to improve the park and give our veterans the honor they deserve.”

Heading up the efforts to refurbish the park are Kenneth and Aletha Smith, who have met with other like-minded citizens about upgrading the park, and now the group is ready to get started with fundraising efforts to make their dream a reality.

Helping to get things rolling, the city of Bremen recently razed a piece of property adjacent to the Veterans Park. The property was donated to the city by Haralson Enterprises. The city demolished the building that was located on the property earlier this month. Since the building was demolished, the ground has been leveled and stabilized to prevent erosion.

“We’re very excited about this project,” said Bremen City Manager Perry Hicks. “We fully support the activities this group is doing, and we’re going to help out with in-kind work as we can.”

Hicks said the city hopes to see the newly acquired lot turn into a parking lot with landscaping for those who wish to visit the park.

Kenneth Smith says that is definitely something the group is aiming for. In addition, the volunteers hope to improve the landscaping inside the park, rearrange the markers, add a walking trail, and add memorial markers. In fact, the markers will be part of the group’s fundraising efforts.

“We’ll be selling markers people can purchase in memory of their loved ones,” Kenneth Smith said. “Or they can purchase shrubbery in their memory.”

Those wishing to make monetary donations can do so at Community and Southern Bank.

“We’re trying to build this up and accomplish something big to honor or vets,” Aletha Smith said.

To find out how you can purchase a marker in memory of a veteran, contact City Hall at 770-537-2331.