KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) – A fundraising drive for a project to erect a monument in Kokomo honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is nearing its goal.

The Kokomo Tribune reports organizers say they have raised more than $100,000 for the project, although the ultimate goal is $150,000.

Kokomo Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission chair Nanette Bowling says a Clergy Appreciation Day breakfast on Oct. 30 will seek to get area churches involved in the fundraising push.

The planned monument and plaza will include a statue of King, a memorial wall, trees, green space and bricked walkways.

An 8-foot statue of King will be carved from limestone and the surrounding wall will be made of granite with engraved plaques depicting historical milestones in King's life and his fight for civil rights.