Cesar Chavez Mural

This beautiful mural was created by a local youth, Mario Viveros, for a Día del Campesino celebration. His teacher at the time, Joan Brock, thought it was a beautiful piece of art with a wonderful message about education, and we agreed.

We believe this mural is a wonderful way to promote education and to show that our community values all of its youth. We raised money to have the art turned into an 8' x 10' mural that will be on the side of the Alternative Education Building.

The mural has been completly funded and is now complete. Vona Brown did a fantastic job and we are grateful for her wonderful work.

There was a private party on January 24th for all donors, and the mural will be this summer. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Your generosity is wonderful and appreciated, and you are making a difference.

The mural will be hung August 16th in conjunction with the “Dia del Campesino” celebration on Aug. 17th.

Donation Letter

If you grew up in Gridley, you know what a great place it is to spend your childhood. If you didn’t grow up here, you have become part of a wonderful community, and we welcome you. Gridley is a place with plenty of wide-open spaces, friendly neighbors, and children with big dreams. However, many of us know the unique challenges of growing up in a small, diverse, rural community. In many ways, those challenges haven’t changed since we were kids ourselves. It goes without saying that we love our town and have continued faith in the promise of our youth. We believe by helping them realize the great potential and the opportunities that are available to them, we can help them avoid the dangers of gang life, drug abuse, and the lack of desire to gain quality education. Gridley wants our youth to become happy, healthy, contributing adults.

As a part of this goal, Youth First is working to have a mural created on the Gridley School District’s Alternative Education building on Hazel Street. A Gridley High student, Mario Viveros, crafted the artwork. Mario originally created the piece for the Dia de Campensio (Day of the Farm Worker) celebration in 2005. You will find a small reproduction of his art enclosed. The message of “Si se puede.” (Yes we can.), through education, is the empowering message of the mural. As you can see, Mario’s pride in his culture and heritage are deeply expressed. We want our youth to be proud of who they are and to truly believe in their potential and opportunities. There is no doubt that his art sends a message of hope through a view of the past, present, and future. This is why we believe this community project is so important. Mario has been granted permission by the National Cesar Chavez Foundation to have his creation displayed. The Foundation has agreed to be present at an unveiling ceremony to show their appreciation!

The Grildey School District is uniting with several local businesses and individuals to support this project 100%. However, it is a costly endeavor and Youth First needs your support as well. The mural will be painted by a local artist, who is working closely with Mario so as not to jeopardize the authenticity of his work. The mural itself will measure 8’x10’. The entire piece will be coated with a special anti-vandalism sealant. With the addition of materials and installation, the total cost is estimated at only $3,500.

In return for the contribution, all sponsors will receive a T-shirt featuring Mario’s artwork. Those that contribute $100 or more will also receive a re-print of the artwork signed by Mario himself. All contributions are tax deductible, Tax ID #36-4590876. Checks may be made payable directly to Youth First with notation of Mario’s Mural.

If you would like any more information or would like us to give a presentation to your business or association, please feel free to contact us. Please join us in making a positive difference in our youth. “Si se puede!”