The Westville Labor Day Weekend Celebration usually brings families together, but this year people are traveling home to Westville from across the country for a special dedication. A new statue of a tiger will be unveiled in the lobby area of Westville High School on Sunday, September 2nd, at 12:15 p.m.
Keith Kittell, a Westville High graduate of the Class of 1972, and the late Lorna Wiseman Konsis, came up with the idea for the Tiger at their 45th class reunion. Kittell says they wanted to honor the 19 classmates they had lost and first thought about maybe planting a tree or placing a clock in the school’s lobby. – Then came the idea for a statue of a Tiger, and selling spots on its base to pay for it. After Konsis died unexpectedly the decision was made to continue the project.
Kittell says when the Westville School Board gave the green light to start fundraising last November ‘’by the middle of December we had maxed out the spaces available on the pedestal with classes and families still wanting to participate.’’
‘’Out of the blue Adams Monument Company sent me an email saying they heard of our project and would like to work with us,’’ said Kittell in an email to VermilionCountyFirst.com News. He says that same week committee member Cliff Kinney found a full body Bronze Tiger ‘’that would be lighter than granite, and also MORE AWESOME,’’ says Kittell.
Since they have raised more than enough money to pay for the new Westville Tiger the committee decided to use the extra for scholarships.
‘’We could not have accomplished this project without the help from class leaders from the over 50 classes on the pedestal,’’ says Kittell. He says the project is the brainchild of the Class of 72 at Westville High School. Committee members included Keith Kittell, Cliff Kinney, Steve Blazaitis, and Charlene Potter Hines.
‘’The one thing I will take from this project is the love for WHS from the alumni,’’ said Kittell. ‘’I have met so many people and heard so many stories from the alumni. Awesome,’’ he added.
The dedication again is scheduled for 12:15 p.m., September 2nd, 2018, in the lobby at Westville High. But until then Westville’s new Tiger will remain under wraps. The dedication is just part of a big Labor Day Weekend Celebration in Westville. You can get more information on the weekend’s events by visiting the Westville Lions Club website at
http://www.WestvilleLionsClub.net.
