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THE FACT THAT THIS, THAT THIS SCULPTURE WAS CREATED AS A MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO ASSISTED IN THE HURRICANE KATRINA RECOVERY, TO NOW PUT THIS EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE, IS QUITE FITTING BECAUSE WHILE JEFFERSON PARISH WAS NOT AS DEVASTATED AS OTHER AREAS IN KATRINA, JUST TWO YEARS AGO IN HURRICANE IDA, IT WAS THE OPPOSITE.
AND JEFFERSON PARISH SUFFERED VERY MUCH THE BRUNT OF HURRICANE IDA.
WHAT WE DID HERE IN LAFFERTY PARK, UM, I LED THE LARGEST FOOD AND SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION IN JEFFERSON PARISH HISTORY, UH, IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE IDA.
SO I FIND IT AWFULLY FITTING THAT A MEMORIAL TO HURRICANE DEVASTATION AND RECOVERY WILL BASICALLY BE AT THE FOOT OF WHAT WE DID JUST TWO YEARS AGO.
LA VENERE PARK IS A BEAUTIFUL SETTING FOR GRATEFUL LABORS.
GRATEFUL LABORS IS AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE FOR THOSE WHO SELFLESSLY DEVOTE THEIR TIME, THEIR WORK, AND THEIR LABOR FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OTHERS.
WHEN I FIRST MADE THE PIECE, I WAS INSPIRED BY THE THOUSANDS OF KATRINA VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT THEM AS WE DEDICATE GRATEFUL LABOR TODAY, I ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN.
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR HEALTHCARE WORKERS, THOSE WHO GOT US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, OTHER HURRICANES, AND ARE STILL THERE WHEN WE NEED THEM DAY IN AND DAY OUT?