Minooka Students Creating Downtown Mural To Honor Nation's Military Veterans

The following press release and update are from Nick Jakucz, Community Relations Coordinator at Minooka School District 201.)

MINOOKA, IL — Minooka CCSD 201 and the Village of Minooka are proud to announce an exciting student-driven art project in downtown Minooka. Students and staff are joining forces with local leaders to transform the pumphouse at 202 E. Mondamin Street, located adjacent to Veterans Park, into a vibrant tribute to our nation’s heroes.

The project features a patriotic design created by Minooka Junior High 8th grader Ava Ruiz. To ensure the final product reflects the district's commitment to excellence, junior high staff worked closely with students to refine all the potential designs before Ruiz’s piece was formally approved by the Village Board.

April 22 Update:

Things are coming along. The kids from Minooka Junior High, mostly the art club at this point, and several community volunteers have worked hard to bring the vision to life.

Weather has hampered efforts slightly, but we're looking forward to the next few weeks of decent weather.

Interaction of note: We had a "mystery veteran" approach our students to express his appreciation for the project they are working on. He offered his thanks, along with a generous monetary donation intended to buy pizza for the workers.

He refused to identify himself. He refused many attempts to return the money. It was a truly touching gesture that made it clear to our students the purpose of the project, and we're grateful for his, and the community's, response.