Visitors thought our mission of healing would be best served by the addition of a meditation garden. A committee of landscapers, nursery owners, horticulturalists, and master gardeners contributed their ideas and, with help from an architectural landscaper, plans were drawn up for a four-room meditation garden. Our isolated picnic shelter became the centerpiece of the garden. Truckloads of black earth and a bobcat changed the grassy plateau into swirls and pathways. The picnic-turned-meditation shelter took on a greater purpose.

With the lighting and sprinkler systems in place and the pathways drawn and ready, the garden lacked a formal entrance, a means of welcoming visitors to the garden. The entry point was there at the junction of the pathways in front of the meditation shelter waiting for us to recognize it. But what would welcome and encourage people to wander, reflect, and meditate in the garden?

Early in 2005, a design contest was held calling for a signature sculpture. Although she had never visited the park, UW-Eau Claire art student Anne Jensen submitted a design “for the experience”. Her design, chosen by a panel of judges, because they thought it reflected our mission of healing and would encourage visitors to reflect and meditate within the rooms of the garden, depicted 6 birds flying upwards through a large sphere. She explained the birds were meant to represent WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm and Iraq. When asked what bird would be represented, she wasn’t sure. It was after she had walked the grounds that she chose doves and turned to the task of finding someone to build her sculpture.

On Sept. 26, 2005, Sgt. Andrew Wallace was killed serving in Iraq. In October 2005, Andrew’s mother, Janie Brockman, and other members of his family visited the park and talked to then volunteer manager Kirk about ways to honor Andrew. One of the options, Kirk told them, was to sponsor the Dove Signature Sculpture. Janie mentioned there had been doves at Andrew’s funeral but didn’t elaborate.

Just 10 days before the sculpture was to be placed on its base, sculpture welder David Hallingstad called The Highground with a change he felt was necessary. Anne’s design specified six doves, but “there was a hole in the center that didn’t look right.”

It was just the right size for a dove, the seventh. Upon getting Janie’s approval to add a seventh dove, The Highground found out that seven doves had been released at Andrew’s funeral.

On Feb. 24, 2006, Janie and Andrew’s family, Anne and David set the sculpture’s base in the Meditation Garden. The Ascension of Doves sculpture. Seven Doves. Welcome Home, Andrew.