“It was a beautiful evening for the dedication of the nine foot tall lighted sculpture placed on the boulevard in Perry. As you may recall, Dallas County Foundation donated funds to Art on the Prairie for this project. “Born of Fire” was dedicated in memory of Progressive Foundry owner Pete VanKirk. The VanKirk family paid tribute to the memories of their father and supporter of the Perry Community.
The Ladies of LaPoste, Jenny Eklund, Mary Rose Nichols and Colleen Ekhoff were instrumental in raising funds, designing and creation of this memorial to the Progressive Foundry. There will be three more similar pieces honoring Railroad, Farmers, and
the Greene/Ahmanson family.
Thank you board members that were able to attend. The Bock Foundation and Dallas County Foundation, plus private donors were treated to hamburgers, hot dogs and brats along with ice cream from a unique vendor truck.
Thank you Jenny, Mary and Colleen for all your hard work.”
–VanKirk family