Liberty replica to get public sendoff

GRIFFITH, Ind., Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The owner of a Griffith, Ind., design agency said the public is invited to a Sunday celebration marking a Statue of Liberty replica's shipment to St. Louis.

BerylMartin owner Frank Brummett said employees have been preparing the statue, which was commissioned by Illinois-based multilevel marketing company YTB International for its annual convention in St. Louis, for transport all week, The Gary (Ind.) Post-Tribune reported.

He said members of the public are invited to bring their grills and barbecue while watching employees load the 130-foot-tall replica of the monument for transport by United Parcel Service. The business owner said a Ray Charles impersonator has been scheduled to play "America the Beautiful" at the ceremony.

Brummett said YTB indicated it plans to donate the 26-ton replica to Lake County, Ind., after the convention. He said Indiana cities including Gary, Hammond, Crown Point and Griffith have indicated a desire to host the statue.