New 26.2-Acre Rockville Park to Honor King Farm Resident And Inspirational Writer Who Died Before His 14th Birthday
ROCKVILLE, Md., June 10, 2005—Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele is expected to join dozens of City of Rockville community members and others from across the country as they honor the late Mattie J.T. Stepanek for his remarkable contributions through his poetry, crusade for world peace and overall enthusiasm for life by naming a future 26.2-acre park for him.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the park will be held on Saturday, June 18, at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Crestfield Drive and Piccard Drive near Shady Grove Road. The event, which is open to the public, will be followed by a family-friendly reception at the King Farm Community Center, located a few blocks away at 300 Saddle Ridge Circle.
The Mayor and Council in April unanimously voted to name the park in the King Farm community as Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park after the resident who touched so many lives worldwide. Mattie died in June 2004, a month before his 14th birthday.
Mattie was the author of five books of poetry, each of which reached the New York Times bestseller list. He was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show and former President Jimmy Carter was among his worldwide admirers.
Mattie accomplished much in a short time despite a long struggle with a rare muscular disease. For the last three years of his life, Mattie lived at King Farm with his mother, Jeni, who is now battling an adult form of the same disease. Mattie was a well-known figure, patrolling the community in his wheelchair.
“At first you might think that naming a park has nothing to do with peace,” Jeni Stepanek told the Mayor and Council in April. “But if Mattie was here, he would say it has everything to do with it. . . . Mattie believed you must play after every storm.”
The groundbreaking event will include remarks from Lt. Governor Steele, Jeni Stepanek, City leaders and others. Winners of a local children’s art contest based on Mattie’s poetry also will be announced.
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Following the ceremony, a procession will form leading to a reception at the King Farm Community Center. The procession will be led by fire engines and riders on Harley Davidson motorcycles. At the reception, there will be a video montage of Mattie, produced by his mother, along with refreshments donated by Safeway. There also will be a moonbounce for children. World-renowned musician and producer Nile Rogers will lead the event and play several of Mattie’s favorite songs.
“There have been many ceremonies remembering Mattie, but this is the first playground in his honor,” said Robert Balkam, a neighbor and family friend.
A Web site that was established for Mattie is still active. On the site, Mattie said he wanted to be remembered as a "poet, peacemaker and philosopher who played."
The City is working with Jeni Stepanek and representatives of the community to include appropriate tributes to Mattie in the park. Proposed ideas foresee inclusion of activities for physically challenged persons; creation of a statue of Mattie and his Golden Retriever service dog, Micah; and holding an annual event for local schools that will recognize Mattie’s passion for peace.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association established the Mattie Fund after his death. The fund is a memorial tribute to Mattie's advocacy efforts and his outstanding work in three years as the MDA National Goodwill Ambassador. Donations go directly toward research in the neuromuscular diseases that lead to early deaths of children and to the MDA Summer Camp programs.
In February of 2002, Mattie's Journey Through Heartsongs, a collection of poetry, vaulted to the top of the New York Times' best-seller list for hard-cover fiction.
President Carter spoke at Mattie’s funeral. He stated that he had visited 122 countries, had met prime ministers, kings and queens and presidents, but Mattie was the most remarkable person he had ever met.
For more information about Mattie, visit www.mattieonline.com, www.kingfarm.org, or www.mda.org.
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