And then there were 100

As a whole, Greenfield muralist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen said he had such a vision for the Freedom Rock project that he could nearly see the finish line well before he reached it. Now that he’s reached it with the completion of the 100th Freedom Rock, located at Adventureland in Altoona, he’s thankful for the impact the project has made.

“I’ve been telling people it feels like crossing the finish line in a long race,” Sorensen said in a phone interview Tuesday. “When I started the project I could see the finish line, but as I dug in year by year, it’s a lot of hours and a lot of work. You kind of wonder to yourself if you’re ever going to reach your goal. It’s one of those goals where I have a rock in every single county and then we capped it with the 100th.”

Last Veterans Day, a little before all 99 Iowa counties had their Freedom Rocks completed, Sorensen auctioned off the final Freedom Rock. Proceeds from that auction were donated to the Puppy Jake Foundation and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). The former, which is based in Urbandale, is dedicated to helping military veterans through the assistance of well bred, socialized and professionally-trained dogs, its website said. The latter provides comfort, care and resources to all those grieving the death of a military loved one.

The Adventureland Freedom Rock pays homage to specific, but unnamed, veterans from Polk County, or those who have strong ties to Polk County. On the rock is the Iowa flag, the same as the Polk County Freedom Rock in nearby Bondurant, and it includes a tribute to Adventureland.

Sorensen is now working on Freedom Rocks across the country.

For more information on the Freedom Rock Tour, visit thefreedomrock.com.