FORT DODGE — At the end of A day dedicated to performing acts of kindness in memory of a beloved local pastor, a permanent physical memorial to him got a formal start.

The family of the late Rev. Al Henderson, members of Serving Our Servants, and representatives of local law enforcement agencies and the Fort Dodge Fire Department gathered at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park to break ground for the Pastor Al Pavilion.

The shovels they used had the words “Carry On” on the handles. That was a favorite phrase of Henderson, who often said that when wrapping up conversations.

Henderson was the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge. He was also the chaplain of the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, District 7 of the Iowa State Patrol and the Fort Dodge Fire Department.

He established Serving Our Servants as a volunteer group to support local first responders.

Henderson was murdered on October 2, 2019, on the St. Paul Lutheran Church grounds.

In his memory, Serving Our Servants started Pay It Forward Friday, a day on which people are encouraged to do random acts of kindness.

Friday was the 2025 edition of Pay It Forward Friday.

“It is a day of remembrance, kindness and action — where they all meet,” TJ Pingel, the president of Serving Our Servants, said Friday evening at the groundbreaking.

He said Henderson’s “legacy of faith and service continues to ripple through our community.”

He described how Serving Our Servants and the Henderson family wanted a physical tribute to the pastor. Their initial concept was a bench and a couple of trees. Then Matt Cosgrove, the director of Webster County Conservation, showed them a spot at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, not far from the playscape. Pingel said they knew immediately it was the right spot for something bigger than a bench.

The Pastor Al Pavilion will be a 16-by-24-foot structure.

Crews from MC Concrete, of Fort Dodge, have already marked the construction area with stakes. The basic structure could be erected by the end of this year.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Pingel extended special thanks to MC Concrete, Mechanico, Curt Bacon Auto Body, the Fort Dodge Police Association, Bruce Wagner, the Tim and Sally Kraayenbrink family, and the Fort Dodge Community Foundation for their support of the project.

Editor’s note: The Rev. Al Henderson attended elementary school classes at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Webster City as a child.