By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Russell Original Art Review (ROAR) is planning a mural honoring veterans to be painted on the side of the Russell VFW, Post 6240.

The mural will be 15 feet by 60 feet and painted by Dennis Schiel of Hays, who also painted murals on the side of the Fox Pavillion in Hays and the Hays VFW.

Patty Driscoll, Russell Original Art Review organizer, said the team working on the project wanted the mural to be in a place where it would be highly visible to the community. The VFW, 248 Bob Dole Drive, is in proximity to Russell’s Memorial Park, golf course, baseball fields, tennis courts and new walking path.

“We decided it would add to the tourism and beautify the area,” she said.

Russell also has two murals downtown.

The mural will be painted in earth tones similar to the FOX mural with the exception of the American flag, bald eagle, poppies, VFW logo and a Purple Heart. It depicts a timeline of U.S. military history as well as U.S. military symbols.

Some of the image depicted in the mural will include a bald eagle, the five military seals, images of wounded warriors, buffalo soldiers, Native American code talkers, the POW/MIA flag, the Gold Star emblem with a folded flag, Flanders Field poppies, a nurse from the Korean War era, Purple Heart emblem, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Army tank and a chopper.

Organizers also hope to include an enclosed copy of the mural outside the VFW that would act as a key for the images in the mural.

Driscoll said she hoped the mural would be educational, helping students and adults alike learn more about the history of U.S. military service.

The mural will be started in April and is scheduled to be finished in four months with a dedication in the fall to coincide with the 49th-annual Russell Original Art Review.

The mural will cost more than $36,000. Grants have been written to cover a portion of the cost, and donations are being taken.

All donors will be listed in a registry inside the VFW. Donors making contributions of $1,000 or more will have their names included in the lower corner of the mural. Donations can be made in honor or memory of service personnel.

Donations can be made by contacting Patty Driscoll at 785-324-0308. The ROAR organization is a 501(c)(3), and donations are tax deductible.