Kenosha County will hold its second annual Veterans Appreciation Summer Picnic on Friday, May 31, at noon at the Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park. The event is open to local veterans and their families, with free admission and lunch provided by MISSION BBQ in Kenosha. Free roundtrip transportation from Festival Foods at 3207 80th St. in Kenosha will be available, courtesy of Dousman Transport Co., as space allows.
County Executive Samantha Kerkman said, “I look forward to celebrating the start of summer with our community’s veterans at our county park that’s dedicated in their honor. I appreciate the support of the community partners that came together again to make this possible.”
The picnic will take place in the Veterans Honor Plaza within the park, accessible via Karow Court off Highway F (Bassett Road), just west of Highway KD (352nd Avenue). Attendees can view a recently completed shelter honoring Army veterans—the first in a planned series for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Wilmot Union High School band students are scheduled to perform during the event. Snap-on Incorporated representatives will also be present to be recognized for their contribution toward further development of the park.
Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park spans 335 acres and includes amenities such as Freedom Lake—a 39-acre lake open for nonmotorized water activities—and over five miles of walking trails.
Jennifer Blasi, Director of Kenosha County Veterans Services, said, “The Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park is a beautiful place for veterans and others to reflect and enjoy the landscape. And this picnic is a great opportunity to see it and to enjoy the company of fellow veterans.”
Those needing transportation should contact the Kenosha County Veterans Service Office by phone or email; guests providing their own transportation do not need to register.
More information about veteran services in Kenosha County can be found at www.kenoshacounty.org/368/Veterans, while details about the park are available at www.kenoshacounty.org/1658/Kenosha-County-Veterans-Memorial-Park.
In related news about local education demographics, Indian Trail High School and Academy had the highest enrollment among Kenosha County schools for 2023-24 with 2,001 students; Tremper High School had 1,458 students; Bradford High School enrolled 1,448 students (https://dpi.wi.gov/). During this period, white students made up just over half—55.6%—of all students attending county schools (https://dpi.wi.gov/), while Hispanic students were the second largest group at 25.7%, followed by Black students making up 10.4% (https://dpi.wi.gov/). American Indian students represented one of the smallest groups at only 0.2% of total enrollment (https://dpi.wi.gov/).
