Brandon Twp.- A modern bench created to honor the memory of Larry Roberts is finished; however, roughly $25,000 must be raised to place the sculpture in its final home? the Brandon Township Community Park.
A spaghetti dinner and silent auction to raise the funds to make the site bench- ready is planned for 5-10 p.m., June 9, at the Brandon High School cafeteria, 1025 S. Ortonville Road.
Larry Roberts was the public safety aide for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Brandon substation for nearly eight years, until his death Feb. 2, 2008 following a battle with cancer.
Rebecca Roberts commissioned Grand Rapids artist Cameron Van Dyke to create a bench in memory of her husband.
‘It has been an honor to create this memorial bench for Lawrence Roberts,? said Van Dyke. ‘Rebecca has helped me understand his character and I have tried to design a piece that is also in keeping with his character. The piece supports and wraps around the sitter and provides large generous arms to seat others.?
The bench will be placed in the tree library section of the community park at Oakwood and Hadley roads. It will be surrounded by lilac trees and shrubs, which Larry was partial to. The tree library is 80 percent completed with trees, and a DNR grant has been given to label the trees; however, the area is not accessible with pathways from the parking lot. The funds raised from the spaghetti dinner and auction will be used to install 400-plus lineal feet of boardwalk that meets Americans with Disability Act specifications, as well as a concrete sidewalk.
‘It’s a very nice addition to the park in good memory of an outstanding citizen of the community,? said Township Parks and Recreation Director Fred Waybrant. ‘With accessibility, they will be able to enjoy the bench and a passive portion of the park, where we plan to eventually have weddings, church outings, family reunions and other events.?
Tickets to the spaghetti dinner fundraiser and silent auction are $10 and are available by calling Rebecca Roberts at 248-628-1486 or the Brandon Parks and Rec office at 248-627-4640. Fundraising is being handled by the Ortonville Rotary and donations can be made payable to the Ortonville Rotary Build-a-Park Club fund. Memorial bricks are also available for purchase.