For men and women who serve our country, returning back to civilian life can be challenging, but a North Tonawanda veteran is determined to make the transition easier by building a relief park for local veterans.

“It’s been a project I’ve worked on for quite some time now," said Glenn DiTillio of North Tonawanda.

He wants to purchase land on the 300-block of Zimmerman Street in North Tonawanda in hopes of turning it into a relief park for veterans.

“The relief park is to give them a place, it’s in nature, it’s a peaceful place where you can interact with the community as a veteran and the community can interact with them, learn about the history, about each other…veterans have an opportunity to mentor the children of the community," he said.

The park would feature a stage for concerts and events, a water fountain, a fire pit, and tiki bars that would serve non-alcoholic beverages.

DiTillio said this all creates a natural distraction and ultimately helps veterans heal in a natural way. This venture is fueled in part by DiTillio’s own experience.

As a veteran himself, he knows the trials and tribulations others who serve go through when they come home.

“I myself suffered from PTSD. I couldn’t come close to how much other veterans have gone through, in my own personal life, experiences outside of the military as well, I’ve seen a lot of loss and I just want to make a difference," DiTillio said.

DiTillio is using funds from his business “Your New Life” to make this dream a reality. He ultimately hopes the park is ready within the next 2 to 3 years. But for him, it can’t come soon enough.

“I think it’s so important that we come together as a community and our community of veterans because there’s so much that veterans have to offer the community in leadership abilities and knowledge. And so I feel like I can have that opportunity to be that one to take that first step to say let’s do it, let’s make it happen," he said.