A push for Pickett

After more than a decade languishing in the pre-planning stages, Never Forget Park in Memory of Tyler Pickett may finally become a reality this spring. 

During the January 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Angus England American Legion Post 54 presented nearly $50,000 to go towards the park. According to Vice Commander Joe Parsons, the total amount came from a combination of sources.

“Tonight we would like to present, specifically for the park, a check for $47,000,” said Parsons. “Two thousand of that came from the Christmas Tree sales of Scott and Michelle McIlvaine, $5,000 came from raffles and donations from the American Legion Post 54, $15,000 of that came from Valley Foods and we had an anonymous donor that contributed $25,000 to the park.”

Prior to presenting the check to Mayor Creed James, Parsons thanked the council for their “continued effort on the park.”

“It’s obviously been a long, long, long time coming,” Parsons said.

For well over a decade, Never Forget Park had been a cause championed by the late Steve Wilcoxson during his tenure on the Saratoga Town Council. Following his passing Memorial Day Weekend 2020 and the 2020 Election, Councilmember Ben Spaulding took the completion of the park on as a mission. 

Spaulding, along with council members D’Ron Campbell and Ron Hutchins, serve on a steering committee for the park with Parsons and other community members including former Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Stacy Crimmins.

Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett, a graduate of Saratoga High School, lost his life on June 8, 2008 while serving in Iraq and was the only Carbon County resident to have died in the Iraq War. Less than a year after his death, on January 14, 2009, the Town of Saratoga purchased property adjacent to Veterans Island for $110,000 with the intent of it being the future home of a park in memory of Pickett. Over the years, various funds had been committed and designs drafted for the park with no progress. 

“With the donations we’ve had to date, one of the things Ron (Hutchins) had thought of when we were working on our budget stuff was that the town would match up to $35,000. With this, that’s puts us at over $56,000,” said James. “We’re at $56,843 that have been donated to the park, so the Town will also be contributing another $35,000 to that. With that, and the amount of money we already have that’s been raised over the years, that puts us close to $125,000.”

Spaulding thanked the American Legion for continuing to champion the park and to fundraise over the years.

“The continued effort with the American Legion, thank you for all you guys do and keeping a fire alive, basically, for this park,” said Spaulding. “I think you guys are definitely the backbone that has pushed this and continue to push this, so I appreciate everything you guys have done and your support behind it.”

“I think it speaks a lot of our community and all the work you guys have done to keep pursuing this,” added James.

The next meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be at 6 p.m. on January 18 at Saratoga Town Hall.