The Friends of the St. James Cemetery is hosting a community fundraising event to help raise money for a new veterans memorial, which will be located in a yet-to-be-determined part of town.

The fundraiser will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Nelson Hart Park Community Hall. One of the main events for the fundraiser is a side-by-side ride. Anyone with a side-by-side or ATV can sign up for the ride, which will take riders on a 44-mile route through the county roads around St. James.

Kristy Rich, Parks and Recreation Director for St. James, has been working on the veterans memorial project for several months through the parks department.

She said that the side-by-side ride is a chance for locals to explore the country roads around town while raising money for a good cause.

“We’re keeping things off the main highways simply because we don’t want back up traffic. They’ll head out and go north and hit the county roads, ride all over, and then come back and end over at Nelson Hart Park,” Rich said.

According to Rich, the veterans memorial project has been in the works for a while. She said she’s excited to announce its location soon.

“We’re so excited about it. I’m antsy and I want to be able to announce where we’re going to put it, but I’ve got a few more i’s to dot and t’s to cross before I can actually do that,” Rich said.

For the side-by-side ride, the vehicle or ATV must be supplied by the driver. Registration for the ride will be at 10 a.m. on the day of the event, with riders departing from Nelson Hart Park at 11 a.m. Registration costs $25 per person 16 years or older, or $15 per person age 15 or younger. Ride tickets include a meal at the fundraiser’s chili and soup dinner, which starts at 5 p.m.

Meal-only tickets are also available for purchase at $15 per person.

The fundraiser includes other evening activities in addition to the chili and soup meal. At 6 p.m. Lorts Auction Service will be hosting a charity auction featuring items such as gift baskets, baked goods, crafts, and even several barbecue grills that were donated by members of the community.

There will also be a dance from 6 until 10 p.m., with live music from Thunder and Lightning.

Attendees can pay ahead through Venmo by sending payments to the Friends of the St. James Cemetery or they can pay on the day of the event. All proceeds will benefit the veterans memorial.

For questions, contacted St. James Parks and Recreation Director Kristy Rich at 573-699-8026.