It has become a mantra of sorts for proud Villa Rica residents and now the phrase will be set in steel and on display in the City of GoldÂ’s downtown.
As a part of Saturday’s Taste of Villa Rica event, a “We Are VR” Statue dedication will occur at 1:00 PM at the Thomas Dorsey Stage.
Villa Rica Mayor, Jeff Reese told WLBB radio that the statue was made by the agricultural students at the North Campus College and Career Campus in Villa Rica. The students first built a miniature metal prototype and then a full-sized wooden prototype. Then the students used plasma torches to cut the sculptureÂ’s three sections out of 1/4″ steel plate. After that, the three sections were welded together and then welded to the steel base plate. Grinders and sanders were then used to clean and shape edges before the piece was bathed in muriatic acid to induce a rusted finish. The final faze was the application of automotive grade clear coat to seal the finish. The final product is over eight feet tall and weighs in excess of 800 pounds.
Mayor Reese is uncertain about the origins of the “We Are VR” slogan.
“There are two stories there. From my vantage point, the way that I heard about it was from Lee Michael Best, who is the athletic manager for the recreation department. He was scribbling around on a piece of paper and came in and showed it to me one day. But I’ve heard that other people have coined the phrase before that,” said Reese.
The statue will be unveiled this Saturday at 1:00 PM.
Â
