New memorial pavilion opens at Cape Girardeau Veterans Home

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — After years of planning and fundraising, a new outdoor pavilion is now open at the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home, giving residents and their families more space to gather, celebrate and spend time together.

The Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Foundation and community members marked the completion of the Neil and Alberta Duggan Memorial Pavilion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday.

Volunteer Coordinator Kristen Pind said the idea for the pavilion began about eight years ago after she noticed families often struggled to find private space while visiting residents.

“One of the things that I noticed when I started here eight years ago was that we didn’t have a lot of space for families to be able to gather,” Pind said. “Every nook and cranny and corner that we had was filled with families trying to have a little alone time, a little one-on-one time with their veteran.”

The project eventually became a years-long effort involving fundraising, construction planning and delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A major part of the funding came from Neil and Alberta Duggan, longtime volunteers at the Veterans Home.

Pind said the couple gave their time and support to the home for years. After they died, money from their estate was left with instructions that it be used to make an impact for veterans at the home.

She said the gift allowed the foundation to begin its capital campaign with about 75% of the money needed for the pavilion.

The remaining money was raised through community support, including golf fundraisers, concerts and individual donations.

Matt Kieffer, president of the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home Foundation, said the foundation continued raising money and working to move the project forward despite delays.

“We try to do things to make their living here better, more comfortable,” Kieffer said. “And this is all part of it.”

The pavilion gives residents an outdoor place to spend time with other veterans and visiting family members. Pind said families can reserve the space free of charge for reunions, birthday parties and other gatherings.

“Not all of these guys can go out and do things,” Pind said. “So being able to have a space that they can reserve free of charge and have that space for them to have a family reunion, a get-together of any sort, a birthday party.”

The pavilion is already being used.

Pind said its first event was a 100th birthday celebration for one of the Veterans Home residents in July. The gathering allowed the veteran’s friends, family and fellow residents to celebrate together without having to leave the home.

Kieffer said he hopes the pavilion continues giving veterans a place to spend time with one another and their families.

“We hope they enjoy it. I’ve seen them out here already,” Kieffer said. “We try to bring their living standard up just a little more so that they can enjoy their time here with each other, with their families, can come out and have little picnics.”

The pavilion is located on the grounds of the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home.