Peace Corps Park Team Rocks It in Madison!
Glenn Blumhorst, Chief Advancement Officer Reports from the Field:
My excitement about Peace Corps Park increased immensely with a recent visit to Madison, Wisconsin. Following a warm welcome dinner from the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison, I joined the Peace Corps Park design team and others at Quarra Stone Company to check out samples of the various types of granite being considered for the sculpted benches of the Park and the pavers for the site’s central plaza.
American Silver Cloud granite, sourced from Broad River Quarries near Atlanta, Georgia, has emerged as our frontrunner for the stone from which the Park benches would be carved and transformed into embracing arms and open hands. We’ve all but confirmed that each of the three 32-foot, 11-ton pieces can be quarried in Atlanta, shipped to Madison, and sculpted from one single block in Quarra’s expanded facilities, planned to be operational in early 2024.
While at Quarra, I also had the opportunity to observe the robotic sculpting machines – which operate 24/7 – at work on the granite benches for the Emanuel Nine Memorial in Charleston, South Carolina. We’re still evaluating the sample granite stones and finishes for the pavers of Peace Corps Park’s Plaza, but seeing the pieces literally starting to come together really reinforced how our progress with Peace Corps Park is moving full speed ahead.
