WESTFIELD — The Westfield Ruritan Club will invite the community to join in celebration of its 21st anniversary Saturday evening with a diverse program of fellowship and refreshments.

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a brief ceremony dedicating the club’s new Welcome to Westfield display in memory of longtime club member Elizabeth “Liz” Jackson. Before her passing, Jackson had taken a special interest in the project, working to raise funds for the signage that will welcome visitors into her adopted hometown of Westfield.

The display, landscaped and accented with stonework, will be across from the Westfield Post Office, near the community’s historic World War II monument. The community is invited to attend the dedication ceremony.

After growing up in Shelby, Jackson met her husband, Dr. Joe Jackson, while both were attending the University of North Carolina. A native of the Westfield community, Jackson eventually brought his wife back to his hometown and the couple built their home near his parents.

Jackson joined the Westfield Ruritan Club in June of 1991. In 1994, she was selected as the club’s Ruritan of the Year. She served as the club’s secretary from 1995-2004 and was selected as the Piedmont District’s Secretary of the Year in 1994, 1996 and 2000. At the time of her death, she was a member of the club’s board of directors.

Education was another of Jackson’s passions and her Ruritan club duties included oversight of the group’s Surry Community College scholarship fund for area students. That program continues today.

“This is a project she envisioned and had worked toward,” Westfield Ruritan President Doris Jessup said of the display. “This memorial will serve as a reminder to us and to the community of how important she was to us and how important she believed community service is to all of us.”

Afterwards, the club will host those in attendance with refreshments in the Westfield Ruritan Community Building. Other activities will include a drawing for a gasoline give-away, concluding a current fundraiser.

“This is an evening to celebrate our club’s 21 years of community service,” Jessup said, “and to celebrate our wonderful little community of Westfield.”