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Imagine a visionary group (Emmaus Vision 2000) of individuals in 2000 on borough council. Roger Whitcomb (On Borough Council), Mike Waddell (would be elected to Borough Council), and Tom Gettings. As Roger says a labor of love getting groups of individuals together that developed ideas and strategies to improve lives in Emmaus. Early on Mike took an unexpected trip to see his Dad in Hawthorne Nevada. In Hawthorne Mike saw a rose garden dedicated to the people in this small community. There were 900 roses planted in memory of its town and the people that lived there. Mike kept his pictures (as we all did back then) in a box where old pictures stay until someone has a chance to look through them or accidently threw them away. While thinking of and developing ideas as a team of volunteers Mike remembered his trip to Nevada and dug out the pictures. Mike, Tom and Roger looked at several spots in Emmaus to see where the placement of the garden would be. The Emmaus Borough and the team of three decided on and asked the Borough to use a plot of land at the Knauss Homestead. The Borough Council agreed and gave them a lease on the property for 25 years and as Roger states for the Princely sum of $1.00 per year. The first meeting took place in 2003. Roger, Mike and Tom spent time going to businesses and leaders such as Brent Peters (Pres of East Penn Bank), the Rodale family, and many others, along with Air Products where they met with Tim Holt who promised the committee $15,000 over three years and as Mike said he received the check in a lump sum and Air Products was happy for the committee to keep it and use it immediately. Borough council was instrumental in helping both financially and with support of some borough services. Mike, Roger and Tom with a support team of volunteers, along with business plan, their architectural plans all agreed they would not break ground until they had $50,000 in hand. The dream was realized and ground was broken. The Garden had several different walkways, one for Veterans, one for Families, etc. Anyone can support the garden by purchasing a brick and having it placed in the Emmaus Remembrance Garden. To date they have placed over 600 bricks dedicated to volunteers, families and Veterans because someone wants to memorialized with a living memory. Please some photos below or go to the remembrance garden website for more information. https://www.emmausremembers.org    Tom Gettings is a Marine (never former if you are a Marine), Roger a Veteran was the first Veteran speaker at the Garden. If you have a chance please help with our Garden clean up or support the Garden with the donation of a brick for a loved one or a family member or someone you know that may have served or are serving now. Please give Mike and Roger your thanks for all they do in our community. |
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