HURRICANE — Community members came together Saturday morning to celebrate the official groundbreaking ceremony for the future home of Liberty Village.

Modeled after the American Village in Montevallo, Alabama, Liberty Village will feature authentic Colonial-era buildings where children and youth can go back in time. Teachers portraying the roles of famous American historical figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abigail Adams will help raise awareness about patriotism and teach American history to the youth.

During the ceremony, media personality, historian, artifact collector and author Glenn Beck was asked to give some impromptu remarks

“I’m overwhelmed by how important this project is,” Beck said. “And as I was driving in I thought how appropriate that the storm is coming. And there needs to be a place where it is calm and peaceful and kind and gentle and is standing for all of our values and principles.”

“How appropriate it is to be – and I know I’m mispronouncing it intentionally – in Hurricane,” he added. “Let this be the eye of the hurricane and bring peace and gentleness and wisdom.”

Right now Liberty Village is a dream, a plot of windswept, barren farmland out in the old Bench Lake area in Hurricane. But organizers, dignitaries and supporters intend for it to be a reality in 2026.

“So easy to support this effort,” Hurricane Mayor Nanette Billings told St. George News at the ceremony. “I loved the comment when Glenn Beck said, ‘Make this the eye of (the) hurricane.’ That’s exactly what we need.”

Billings said it’s important to recognize that people are going to come to Hurricane, and Liberty Village will offer insight into the community values.

“They’re going to see the freedom and family and faith that comes as they visit this holy site,” Billings said. “It is absolutely going to be an amazing place to have this Liberty Village in Hurricane.”

As reported previously in St. George News, endurance athlete Tom Jones ran from Montevallo, Alabama, to Hurricane in a series of 76 marathons to help raise awareness about Liberty Village and to promote patriotism.

The series was called the V2V marathons, as in village to village, from Alabama to Hurricane.

The finish line for his final run in the series was at the groundbreaking ceremony, and he addressed the crowd briefly.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Jones said. “After tomorrow, I will have run 347 marathons in my lifetime for nonprofits and worthwhile causes. And I can tell you that the 76 (the V2V marathons) are most important to me out of all of them.”

Jones told St. George News on Thursday that when United We Pledge president Dennis Leavitt approached him about the Liberty Village project, he was all in.

“The core values of United We Pledge, freedom, family, faith, and being a good Constitutional law-abiding citizen, really resonated with me,” Jones said. “Being a former Marine and touring all over the world, I have seen firsthand what it’s like for people and countries not to have the freedom and liberties that were gifted to us when we were born here.”

But before it all started, Jones said he had a question for United We Pledge founder Lex Howard.

“I asked him, ‘Are you interested in doing this, or are you committed?’” Jones said. “It’s been my experience that if you’re interested in something, you’ll find every reason to quit. But if you’re committed to it you will stop at nothing to get it done.”

Jones added that Howard looked him in the eye and said, “I’m committed.”

“They really stepped in and stepped up,” Jones said. “I’ll tell you what, running 76 marathons in a row takes that kind of commitment. I wanted a partner that has that level of commitment. We would all be leaving a legacy to future generations.”

Howard was Master of Ceremonies on Saturday. Leavitt addressed the crowd as did Balance of Nature founder Dr. Douglas Howard, who provided the land for Liberty Village.

The Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution were on hand, with the SAR Color Guard Unit presenting the colors.

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