Remembering Derrick Robie: Savona community unveils Derrick J. Robie Memorial Field
SAVONA, N.Y. (WENY) -- It was an emotional Saturday morning in Savona, as the community unveiled the Derrick J. Robie Memorial Field to the Robie family.
Derrick Robie was just four years old when his life was taken in 1993. Nearly three decades later, his memory remains alive in the village of Savona. Thanks to the generosity of the community and the hard work of faculty and students at G-S-T BOCES, the community is making sure Derrick is always remembered. A renovated t-ball field, with the statue in his memory looking over the Derrick J. Robie Memorial Field, was unveiled at this morning’s ceremony. The statue now stands before a brand-new flagpole, walkway, and benches, all made possible through community support.
“It's a heart-warming event that took place here,” Janice Swett, Instructor at GST BOCES, said. “It's about the parents taking the time to be with their children and remembering Derrick in a very positive way and he's always looking over these ball fields.”
Swett got the idea for the project from Derrick's love of tee-ball. She attributes her colleague Mike Fodge for helping her take the project to the next level. Fodge didn't know about Derrick's monument at first, which inspired him to make the park area where the monument is a more prevalent part of the community.
“Being able to do something for the community for Dale and Derrick is an amazing opportunity,” Fodge said. “With the students that I have, bringing them out to be able to do a project like this gives them that real-world experience and puts things into perspective for them.”
Dale and Doreen Robie, Derrick's parents, saw the students' and community's work for the first time today and were touched by the support. They helped mark the opening day at the ball field by raising the American flag and bringing Derrick's old t-ball shirt to hang from their son's monument.
“It's perfect,” Doreen said. “The kids will have someplace to come and play for years to come. It's just a testament of the hearts of people in this town and surrounding communities. It just blows my mind.”
“This has been overwhelming from day one when the project got started years ago,” Dale said. “Thank you to everyone.”
During his life, Derrick Robie loved vanilla, or as he said, “white” ice cream with rainbow sprinkles and tee-ball. The Robie family hopes the newly renovated field will help remind parents to cherish the moments they have with their kids - especially playing ball. They are proud their son's presence is still felt today.
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