Washington, DC – The Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition) is partnering with several Georgia-based organizations: the Honorary Hungarian Consulate of Georgia, Atlanta Hungarian Meetup, the Haralson County Historical Society (home to the Budapest Cemetery), and the Hungarian Community Church of Georgia to unveil a “Freedom Fighter” statue in Georgia. The statue will honor the heroes of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 at its 65th anniversary on October 23, 2021.
The “Freedom Fighter” will serve as a permanent reminder of the unsung heroes who waged battle against communism and the Soviet Union.
Coalition President Andrea Lauer Rice, a Georgia resident,
helped select the granite block for the “Freedom Fighter” statue
The 1956 Statue Committee is comprised of the following individuals and organizations:
Andrea Lauer Rice, Hungarian American Coalition, Daughter of ’56-er
John Parkerson, Honorary Consul General of Hungary
Atlanta Hungarian Meetup
Karen Higgins, Haralson County Historical Society
Heni Jordan, Atlanta International Night Market
Imre and Szilvia Safrics, Local Businessman
Beata Klenik, Local Businesswoman
Kinga Ertavy Sherrill, Community Leader, Daughter of ’56-ers
Melinda Setenyi, Local Businesswoman
An advisory committee has also been created, comprised of local ’56-ers and the children of ’56-ers who have since passed away.
The Coalition commissioned Stan Mullins, a world-renowned, Georgia-based sculptor to create the statue. Throughout his more than 25-year artistic career, Stan Mullins has traveled and worked on several continents and has created thousands of works of art in a multiple of mediums. Many have international themes, but all of them use materials local to his beloved home state of Georgia. “Freedom Fighter” will be no exception. The granite block was selected from a quarry in Elberton.
Coalition Chairman Emerita Edith K. Lauer at Stan Mullins’ studio in Athens, GA
The total budget of the project is $65,000. The initial grant of $10,000 was secured from Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The remainder of the funding will be raised from the community through a GoFundMe campaign and corporate and organizational donations.
There is a unique opportunity for families to donate $1,000 in memory of a freedom fighter or to honor a relative and have their name displayed forever on the statue’s bronze plaque.
To contribute to the campaign, donors may use the Georgia Statue’s GoFundMe account by clicking here or by sending a check to the Coalition’s mailing address (P.O. Box 57135, Washington, DC 20037). Please indicate ‘GA56 Statue Project’ on your donation or online.