Watch the Unveiling: A Handshake for the Century
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Today the Robinson-Shuba statue, which celebrates a handshake between Jackie Robinson and Youngstown native George Shuba, was unveiled at Wean Park.
The unveiling occurred as the two women whose foundations contributed the most to fund the $400,000 project — Jan Strasfeld and Sally Bany — pulled ropes to reveal what was beneath the blue covering.
Strasfeld is the retired executive director of the Youngstown Foundation. Bany saw a story about the project on CBS Sunday Morning and the next day put into motion her family’s foundation contributing the remaining $175,000 that needed to be raised.
When cost overruns necessitated raising another $12,000, Bany’s Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation of Oregon immediately answered the call.
To honor her donation, Mayor Jamael Tito Brown gave Bany the key to the city. Her grandfather grew up in Youngstown, which is why the project immediately intrigued her.
Video by Guy D’Astolfo.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
