Veterans’ Day is on Nov. 11, and a Glen Cove Eagle Scout’s effort to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice is coming to fruition. A new memorial park is under construction and set to be completed soon.
Genalie Prezeau, who spearheaded the effort, was inspired by talking to former military members. With his project, he wants to inspire the younger generation to feel the same. Prezeau said, “Being a young kid, I wanted to show that more kids should be honoring veterans, because the bridge from the young to the old is such an important thing,” adding that the wisdom veterans provide is incredibly valuable.
After deciding on the project, Prezeau’s focus shifted to raising support. He held public events to gain funds for the project, from dinners to allowing families to purchase bricks for dedication. However, the pandemic was a bump in the road, preventing him from holding in-person events. Despite the slowdown, support continued from local businesses and Glen Cove leaders.
The project received tremendous support from the city government, receiving a grant for funding. “Mayor Pam Panzenbeck, and previous Mayor Tim Tenke, they all wanted the project to happen since they all felt that it was necessary for Glen Cove to have some sort of veterans monument,” reimbursed into Glen Cove city, Prezeau said.
After years of planning, designing, and fundraising, the Veterans Remembrance Walk broke ground in October and is set to be unveiled in late November. For Prezeau, not only is it exciting to see the work take shape, but he’ll also cherish the lessons he took away from the project.
“The time working towards this was really beneficial to me because I learned a lot more about handling business, construction, talking to contractors, architecture, and it’s such a good thing to have in my life, so I’m just really glad it’s happening,” Prezeau said.
Prezeau is now a freshman at Pennsylvania State University. Despite not seeing the project take shape, he is confident the project is in the right hands. However, with the unveiling coming soon, he hopes this project will inspire future generations of scouts to never give up on their goals.
“Dreams can become a reality because this has been a dream for so long, and now it’s finally being put into the ground.”
