SAC CITY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — After the founder of Hometown Pride in Sac City passed, city officials decided to add new features to their Riverview Park. Officials worked with the Sac City Parks and Recreation Department to commemorate the memory of Bruce Perry.
“So when my co-committee member and I were sitting in my kitchen last July, painting our vision for this before a parade, we thought it was a pipe dream. So it’s awesome for us to see it actually become a reality,” said Kim Peterson with Hometown Pride.
Bruce Perry, a Sac City native who passed away in June 2023, was known for his dedicated service as a city council member and as the founder of Hometown Pride. Perry’s passion for music inspired the community, and thanks to several grants and strong local support, city officials built a music park in his honor.
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“So what we’ve done is we’ve created this area in the park where we have musical instruments that people are able to compose things on,” said Curtis Bloes with the Sac City Parks and Recreation Department. “In the spirit of what, you know, something Bruce would have liked to have done if he were still with us.”
Riverview Park, established in the 1970s, was selected as the site for the new music park to honor Perry’s years of dedication to maintaining and revitalizing the space for Sac City residents.
“It wasn’t really kept up that well,” said Bloes. “And Bruce kind of adopted it as Hometown Pride, and that’s why we’re down here so much. So we’re always looking for ways to make it a better experience for users.”
“Because right now we have one adaptive swing for, you know, handicapped or disabled kids or adults to use. But we wanted to build on that and make it more usable for them in the community,” Peterson said.
Alongside new musical installations and upgraded playground equipment, city officials also plan to unveil a special tribute at the park, ensuring Bruce Perry’s legacy continues to inspire the Sac City community, according to Bloes.
“What we’re going to do is build a pergola around the existing area so that it is more shaded on that,” Bloes said. “Perhaps in the middle we’re going to have a monument to Bruce, a plaque, at least to Bruce, talking about his work in the community.”
Peterson shared that Perry would be proud to see the improvements underway at the park he cared for so deeply.
“He was, you know, not only a neighbor and a friend, but he was a great leader. And he would have been right down here with us with the kids playing,” Peterson expressed.
Parks and Recreation officials are to get some of the newer features added by next summer.
