KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) – Supporters of a planned monument in Kokomo honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. say they're nearing their goal of raising $150,000 for the project.

The Kokomo Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1snHZHZ ) that more than $125,000 has now been raised for the monument in the central Indiana city.

Kokomo councilwoman Janie Young says she and others involved in the project hope people keep the fundraising drive in mind for a tax-deductible donation as the year nears its end.

She says the project will become “another historical and cultural improvement that adds to the aesthetic beauty of our city.''

The planned monument will include 8-foot statue of King carved from limestone and a memorial granite wall with engraved plaques depicting historical milestones in King's life and his fight for civil rights.