A life-sized bronze statue of the “King of Cool” is what a newly organized group hopes to see erected outside the Historic Fort Steuben Visitors Center and unveiled at the Dean Martin Hometown celebration in 2023. But there’s work to be done before that can happen — namely generating awareness about the project and raising money to move it from dream-to-reality status.

The statue honoring Steubenville’s native son is the brainchild of former Steubenville resident Gerald Ravasio of Baton Rouge, La., according to childhood friend Flora VerStraten-Merrin, media chair for the committee that Ravasio is chairing.