This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/07/2019 12:00 AMFolks stepping into the Joe Trapasso Gymnasium at Branford's new Community House will be greeted by a wall mural made of colorful tiles carrying a heartfelt message.
The mural is a tribute to late Branford resident Ben Callahan, who tragically passed in 2017 at the age of 10, due to a drowning accident. It was designed by Laurie Gwiazda, who worked with the Callahan family, friends and many community members to commemorate the spirit of a Branford boy who wore #2 for his team on the town's youth football league and came to be known as "our warrior."
The following is Gwiazda's statement about the installation:
"When something tragic happens there is nothing you can say or do to ease the pain the family is enduring. In the summer of 2017, I saw the town of Branford come together in a way that I had never seen before. I wanted to create something that our town could build together, especially the children that knew Ben. I wanted the project to represent Ben and all that he stood for and at the same time show what a close community Branford is. Many community businesses and professionals around our town were more than willing to help me pull together the supplies and expertise that were needed to make this vision a reality. The hands represent the town holding #2 in their hearts and each painting that created this wall was made by a community member to show what Ben meant to them. Paula, Ben's mom, painted the tile in the middle of the heart. I wanted her tile to be in the center among the others to represent that we are all here to surround her and her family with support and love. This piece will be on the wall in our new Rec center for years to come and generations of people will get to know Ben through the eyes of his community. They will get to see that no one in Branford stands alone. We are a community that pulls together in times of joy and sadness. We are Branford!"