9 April 2010

Area of Remembrance unveiling ceremony

The Mayor and Project Committee wish to announce that after nearly two and a half years, Project R3: Recognise, Remember, Reflect has reached a stage where the renewed Area of Remembrance can be formally handed over to its guardians, the citizens of the Upper Hutt district.

The formal unveiling and dedication of the Area of Remembrance will take place at a civic ceremony to be held on the afternoon of Wednesday the 14 April from 5pm.

The Minister of Defence, the Honourable Wayne Mapp, together with officials from the NZ Defence Force will be in attendance. Two new Walls of Remembrance will be unveiled before the unveiling of the new memorial monument and statue of “Now Grand-dad”. Local ministers and kaumatua will then bless and dedicate the area.

Local businesses, service organisations, veterans, schools, citizens and visitors are all cordially invited to attend and witness this unique community occasion.

After the ceremony, citizens and visitors alike will be invited forward to place a poppy into a chain mail poppy veil that will adorn the base of the new memorial monument. This unique activity will in future form part of the Upper Hutt ANZAC Day Dawn Service program.

Unfortunately, due to a shortage in project funding the new stairway between the Walls of Remembrance, the lighting for the Area of Remembrance and the new memorial for Trentham Memorial Park have been deferred to a later date when funding has been obtained.

ENDS