Jerrell Gadson’s winning artwork for the senior/youth center in Riverdale commemorates Sept. 11 by depicting a firefighter being held by a crying Statue of Liberty with a scene of the World Trade Center in the background.
“I wanted to draw them the way they were before because most people remember them being on fire,” Gadson, 16, a sophomore at Thornton High School, said of the Trade Center towers. He calls his work, which won first place in a special contest for the Riverdale center, “Memories of Before.”
The final phase of the center was dedicated last weekend.
“How appropriate it is to honor the memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and the heroes with rooms that bring together both–the young and old,” said Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli.
The lower-level rooms at the Senior/Youth and Family Services Center, 14325 S. Halsted St., are called Unity, Freedom, and Patriot.
Zuccarelli unveiled a wall plaque that read: “Through blurred eyes, we find strength and courage to soar beyond the moment. We look to the future, knowing we can never forget the past. God Bless America.”
“It is a shame it takes something like this to remember how important it is to be free and how important it is to be a citizen of the United States of America,” Zuccarelli said at the ceremony, attended by residents, township officials, police and the Thornton Police Honor Guard.
Artwork from the contest in Thornton Township High School District 205 was themed “Freedom, Patriotism and Unity.” Winning second place was “Art. A Bridge Between Cultures” by Thornridge students. “Love United Under One Flag,” by Thornwood students, took third.
The center, which opened in February 2001, serves as a satellite office for Thornton Township and as an outreach center for seniors in the western part of the township, said Debbie Kopec, executive director of Thornton Township. The last three rooms were completed with a $1.25 million community development block grant from Cook County.
“The center will bring outside resources to our community and will not only benefit Riverdale, but also Thornton Township and the surrounding areas,” said Riverdale trustee Deyon Dean.
“It is a great contribution to the community.”
