"Before I Die" Community Project Kickoff Event

 

On 9/11/14 James Eisel, Chairman of the Delaware County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor of the Town of Harpersfield, kicked off the opening of the“Before I Die” community project at noon today before a large group in Delhi’s Courthouse Square honoring the tragic events of 9/11 with a moment of silence. This project allows people in Delaware County to share their thoughts, dreams, and aspirations with the community.

Mr. Eisel introduced a number of people from the county including Tina Mole’, the Supervisor of Bovina and Vice Chairman of the County’s Board of Supervisors; Wayne Shepard, Director of the Office of Aging; Elizabeth Sova, Director of the SUNY Delhi O’Connor Center for Community Engagement; Jason Thomson, Superintendant of the Delaware Academy Central School District in Delhi, Reverend Sarah Hooker, First Presbyterian Church of Delhi, Tammy Christman of the Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care; and Steve Finkel from The Arc of Delaware County.

Mr. Finkel noted that “The 7 organizations supporting this program, including the Veterans Services Agency of Delaware County, the County Maintenance Department and the thousands of Delaware County people they serve and represent, have been very supportive of this unique program that started in 2011 in New Orleans with a young artist named Candy Chang.” The program has grown to reach out to over 70 countries in 34 languages, from China, Russia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, to South and North America, crossing all political, social, ethnic, religious and geographical
boundaries.

“Getting this program launched was a team effort, a real community program that included Justin Foster, a SUNY faculty member in their Building Technologies curriculum and 10 of his students that helped construct and install the Before I Die boards in the Square, and Nicholas Wager, who, with Rev. Hooker were the social media and technical wizards behind getting the word out to all, “ Finkel added.

Finkel concluded by thanking everyone….”for coming, caring and sharing….and importantly, giving back to your community on this very important national day of remembrance.

For more photos of this event visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/delarc/sets/72157647484400742/