Reading with Riley Statue

Barb Roark, Assistant Director of the Hancock County Public Library and Paul Norton of Greenfield Parks & Rec Dept. 

Barb Roark and Paul Norton with the Reading with Riley Project spoke to Kiwanis about the project to place a new statue of James Whitcomb Riley in front of the Riley Boyhood Home in Greenfield,  The project was launched as a collaboration with several community organizations to raise about $40,000 for the statute.  2016 is the centennial of Riley's death and the Indiana Statehood Bi-Centennial.  The statue is being created by noted Indiana Artist Bill Wolfe of Terre Haute.  Wolfe created the Larry Bird statue at Indiana State and the Weir Cook statue at Indianapolis International Airport. 

The Riley Old Home Society, the Hancock Visitors Bureau, and the Hancock Tourism Commission made substantial gifts to the project.  Funds are still required to complete the stature so that is can be featured at the Riley Festival in October,  If you are interested in this project information can be found at jwrileyhome.org or a check made payable to HCCF Reading with Riley Statue can be sent to the Hancock County Community Foundation, 312 East Main Street, Greenfield, Indiana 46140.