Cherokee County employees, who are active duty or retired military personnel, are being honored thanks to a generous donation to the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Commemorative Brick Program.

At the Jan. 18 Board of Commissioners meeting, Cherokee Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley was presented with a $4,500 donation from Will Tomasello and Becky Massave, siblings who founded Legacy Event Management. First responders were also recognized for their ongoing work with the organization.

The organization is an event management company that specializes in hosting elite level sporting competitions that connect youth athletes with college coaches for potential recruitment. “Will and Becky reached out to me after hosting the Veterans Tribute Showcase at our parks last fall and inquired about donating to a local veterans’ charity in honor of Veterans Day,” said Worley. “I immediately thought about the Commemorative Brick Program for the veterans’ monument at Cherokee Veterans Park.”

The donation will be used to purchase veterans’ bricks for all active and retired military personnel currently employed by Cherokee County and will be displayed at the Cherokee Veterans Park Monument. The centerpiece of the design is a large United States Flag with five granite walls and plaques depicting the names and mottos for each uniformed branch of service along with the year each branch was founded. The pentagon-shaped plaza includes seat walls and a five-pointed star with a column at the point and the seal for each branch of the armed services on the column.

“Veteran causes are very close to Becky and I because of our father and family who have served,” said Tomasello. “Because of the investment the county has made to its parks system, over $130 million dollars have been awarded in scholarships to girls who play softball and by the county investing in our tournaments, we felt it was our place to make this investment into this county.”