Memorial statue unveiled at cemetery

MacKenna Jones' Fallen Soldier memorial statue at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake was unveiled in a big way this month.

"I grew up around veterans and my dad is one, too. He served in the Navy for 27 years. We also recently lost a friend of ours from church who was a Pearl Harbor survivor," she said in a June 2013 Cheney Free Press interview.

The memorial statue was unveiled Saturday, Nov. 2 at the veterans cemetery, featuring numerous community groups from throughout the Spokane region.

Jones, a Cheney High School student, began working on the project last August after it was approved by the Girl Scouts of America.

Her father, Mike, contributed his background in construction to the project, creating a design prototype to help with presentations throughout the region. He was also instrumental in ensuring the materials used in the statue's creation would last indefinitely.

The cost of the statue is $5,000, excluding the granite pedestal. In total, the memorial was projected to cost $8,000. Jones sought donations from local companies and held fundraisers throughout the community to make the memorial a reality.

In addition to her service in Girl Scouts, Jones is involved in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets program, volunteers with the Special Olympics and is a part of the high school marching band.

"Anything is possible. You just have to work hard and try your best," she said in the June interview.

James Eik can be reached at james@cheneyfreepress.com.