In 2011 the family and friends of Captain John “Ryan” Dennison, a native and resident of Frederick County, created a memorial fund in his name through The Community Foundation of Frederick. The “John Ryan Dennison Memorial Fund” supports the design, construction and maintenance of a memorial project that will honor all the residents of Frederick County who have lost their lives in the recent wars
on terrorism. This memorial will be dedicated to the local men and women who voluntarily served and sacrificed their lives for our freedom. This secured site will be located at the new Urbana District Park. The purpose is to create a place for our community to pay respect to our fallen heroes, and to provide an opportunity to educate future generations about the meaning of service to our country. Point of Contact: Jonathan Sanderson contact information [email protected] (240)308-0308
How you can help: Like the page, Post messages of support, Spread the word, Check back for updates, and DONATE! The Memorial: The memorial will have a permanent home at the new Urbana District Park, located off Md. 355 in Urbana, MD. The cenotaph flag pole will be set on one of the highest peaks in the park, and will proudly wave our country’s national flag, visible to all in the community. The pentagon granite base will be inscribed with Ryan’s story and picture, and space will be left to add the names of other Frederick County residents who have also lost their lives in the wars on terrorism. This memorial will be dedicated to the men and women who voluntarily served and sacrificed their lives for our freedom. The Fund: The John Ryan Dennison Memorial Fund was created by the Dennison family and friends through The Community Foundation of Frederick County to support the design, construction and maintenance of a memorial project honoring Captain John Ryan Dennison and other Frederick County residents who have lost their lives in the wars on terrorism. For more information please visit www.cffredco.org/dennison
Donations to this fund can be made online by Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Checks made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County may be mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, with the name of the specific fund (John Ryan Dennison Memorial Fund) on the memo line. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Thank you for your consideration making a gift to the John Ryan Dennison Memorial fund. The power of giving is the power of giving back. Your generosity makes a difference in the lives of others and creates positive and lasting change, For Good. For Frederick County. About the Park:
Frederick News Post by Meg Tully November 24, 2010
A 95-acre park in Urbana is expected to open in the summer, complete with new trails, playground equipment and athletic fields.Frederick County Department of Parks and Recreation is overseeing the construction at the new Urbana District Park, which is near the intersection of Md. 355 and Lew Wallace Street. Paul Dial, the county's parks and recreation director, said the new park will be a welcome addition. "Urbana has grown so much, and there is clearly this need for additional recreation amenities," Dial said. "The community park that we have that's on the other side of 355 is only 20 acres, and one of the smallest community parks that we have." The primary entrance to the district park will be off of Md. 355, but there will also be a paved pedestrian and biking trail connecting the park to the Villages of Urbana at Lew Wallace Street. Eventually, more sidewalks will be added to Lew Wallace Street, linking the existing community park to the pathway into Urbana District Park. The first phase of the project is costing the county about $5.9 million. The project's groundbreaking took place in February 2010. The land itself was donated by Urbana developer Tom Natelli in 2004, but talks on the land started even earlier, in 2000. Dial said the donation was not a requirement, and will help meet the community's growing needs. The district park will include athletic fields, three parking lots with a total of 466 spaces, a paved trail, maintenance buildings, a playground, four pavilions and a restroom. The planned athletic fields include a football/lacrosse field, softball field, baseball field, little league field and two soccer fields. After the project is completed, Dial said his staff will likely evaluate the fields at the community park to see if any of them need to be adjusted or eliminated. With more field capacity, park officials hope to eliminate overlapping soccer and baseball fields. The district park's opening will not affect the two new multipurpose recreational fields recently completed at Urbana High School. Those fields will continue to be used, Dial said. Eventually, the county hopes to complete a second phase of the project at the district park. Plans call for it to include a community building and natural surface trails. That project is not in the county's six-year capital funding schedule, so it is likely it will be years before it is completed.
