Deadly tornado won't stop Greenfield artist from completing new mural on Iowa's original Freedom Rock
This week's deadly tornado has slowed Greenfield artist and state Rep. Ray "Bubba" Sorensen's progress on the Freedom Rock mural he paints each year before Memorial Day, but it won't keep him from finishing it.
Sorensen has been painting tributes to Iowa veterans on the 60-ton boulder, located about 10 minutes north of Greenfield along Iowa Highway 25, for 25 years.
Video above: Artist and state Rep. Ray Sorensen talks about plans for Freedom Rock near Greenfield
The tradition has made Sorensen a local celebrity and spawned Freedom Rocks in all 99 of Iowa's counties. He had started work on this year's mural before Tuesday's storm, but as a state representative for District 23, which includes Greenfield, his priority has been helping victims of the storm.
"My goal has been to stay on the ground here, to be a facilitator in any way I can to help out in any way I can during the day," Sorensen told 糖心vlog on Thursday. "Then at night I鈥檝e been going to chip away at painting the rock."
Sorensen, whose home was spared in the storm that damaged and destroyed dozens of others, said he knows what the annual mural means to veterans and aims to finish it by Memorial Day.
"(It) is something very important to continue to lift up and honor our veterans, and I never want to forget about them," he said. "It鈥檚 about balancing the tragedy with memorializing our veterans.鈥�
The Freedom Rock is located at 2301-2319 120th Street.
Sorensen doesn't have plans to incorporate this week's storm into the mural, but may use his skills to help raise money for his community.
鈥淚鈥檓 probably going to try and keep the tragedy off of the rock, but I am drawing inspiration for artwork that I would like to do and possibly put on merchandise to try and raise money for the foundation here to directly benefit victims," he said.
WATCH: Decades later, Freedom Rock still puts 鈥榤emorial鈥� in Memorial Day
From 2023: Iowa artist celebrates Medal of Honor recipients in Freedom Rock's 25th year
From 2022: New Freedom Rock mural complete for Memorial Day