Community Corner
Mayor's Youth Award Goes to "Boundless" Boy
John "Bodie" Vaccino is among honorees for inspiring others to raise $400,000 to build "boundless" playground.
The mayor honored numerous city children for their accomplishments at City Hall Tuesday evening. But one stole the show -- and that was John "Bodie" Vaccino, a wheelchair-bound boy with boundless energy and enthusiasm.
Mayor James Richetelli Jr. explained that 8-year-old Vaccino's classmates had nominated him for recognition at The 23rd Annual Mayor's Youth Award Ceremony because of his enthusiasm for building a "boundless" playground in town.
After three years of prodding, Vaccino -- who has cerebral palsy -- managed to convince his classmates and their parents to raise $400,000 to build which opened in Eisenhower Park last weekend.
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"The inspiration and the man behind the scenes of all of this was the winner in the elementary school category, John Vaccino," the mayor said.
As he handed Vaccino a plaque, the audience broke out in loud applause.
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