Northern Colorado artists help replace vandalized Jackie Robinson statue in Kansas
A team of artists in Northern Colorado came together to help replace a statue of Jackie Robinson -- months after the original was destroyed by vandals in Wichita, Kansas.
"Someone decided they would cut the sculpture off and go sell the metal," said Tony Workman, owner of Art Castings of Colorado in Loveland.
Staff at Art Castings were asked to help recreate the iconic baseball player's statue after men in Kansas tried to scrap the original bronze statue.
The original statue was initially installed at a baseball field for "League 42," a Kansas organization that helps get underprivileged kids involved with baseball.
The vandals were caught on camera sawing the statue at its feet, then loading the rest of the bronze into a truck and driving off.
When the statue was taken, friends and family of artist John Parsons said they were heartbroken. The statue of Robinson was one of Parsons' most beloved pieces he made in his career. He even worked with Robinson's family members to make sure the face of the statue was as accurate as possible. Parsons died shortly after the statue was dedicated.
"When something like that happens, especially on a piece like this, oh man, it makes us mad," said Nate Ford, one of the men who helped create the new statue.
"I was livid. This was kind of a personal thing," said Ron Keller, a friend of Parsons. "Why would someone do this kind of thing?"
The vandals apparently did not see the statue as a symbol of unity, but rather as a 250-pound avenue to a payday.
"The alloy we use is 95% virgin copper," Workman said.
However, the vandals didn't consider one major factor.
"Where could they go with it? Nowhere," said Carol Parsons, John's widow.
Most scrap metal companies will see a piece of art missing its feet as a clear sign of a stolen piece of art. And the word quickly spread around the region that the statue had gone missing.
That is when the vandals tried to melt the statue down themselves.
"So they found a big dumpster and started a big fire. It really doesn't work like that," Workman said.
The vandals were identified, arrested and prosecuted. As they made their way through the court system and to jail, strangers came together to try and replace the statue.
"People from all over the United States, probably even internationally, were donating," Carol said.
Fortunately, for those who loved the original statue, the original cast of the statue remained in great condition and could be recreated relatively easily. The team in Loveland got to work and recreated John Parsons' work, even including a copy of his signature on the base.
"This was one of my favorite pieces. So I am happy I get to do two of them," Ford said.
"It is a big deal, it is going to be quite a legacy," Carol said.
Carol Parsons picked up the statue from Loveland and drove it back to Wichita, where it was recently dedicated once again to League 42.
While vandals may have destroyed the original, the new statue of Jackie Robinson has reunified communities just like Robinson did himself.
"Overall, a great thing has been born from a horrible circumstance," Keller said.
