Samuelson Memorial Dedication Lake City

After nine months of planning, promoting and fundraising, Destination Lake City (DLC) will dedicate, donate and ‘unveil’ a ‘historical monument’ of Ralph Samuelson to Lake City’s Mayor Mark Nichols on Saturday, July 2 at 4:11 p.m. at Ohuta Park, the monument’s future home.

Ralph Samuelson of Lake City was just 18 years old when he became the first person to ever ski on water. The significance of the dedication at 4:11 p.m. is important because that is the legendary time that he was first successful at skiing on water.

John Hutchinson, President of Destination Lake City, says the dedication will have many great guests and speakers who will deliver brief comments, including Ralph Samuelson’s three children who all live in some proximity to Lake City and Betsy Anderson-Gilman, a world renown championship water skier.

The dedication program will begin at 4 p.m. sharp tomorrow and is open to the public.

Fundraising efforts for the memorial continues. DLC needs to raise $75,000 to cover the costs of the bronze, life-sized statue and related expenses of the footings, the foundation stone, an adjacent plaque and incidentals.

They are about two-thirds of the way toward the goal.

To make a contribution, send checks to Destination Lake City, PO Box 47, Lake City, 55041, write “for Samuelson memorial” under memo on check.