7 April, 2013
Father and son marathon team duo, Dick and Rick Hoyt, who have inspired people worldwide with their motto of “Yes You Can" will officially cement their place in Hopkinton history this April as the bronze statue in their honor at Center School is unveiled on April 8th.
In preparation for the unveiling, prep work at the site began in early March and the granite slab that serves as the base was installed on March 4th.
During January a scale model of the statue was on display in the library and finally on Tuesday, March 26th, the full size statue arrived from Texas and was installed at Center School.
It was a cold blustery day, complete with a short snow squall, but that didn't stop the installation. Once the fencing around the site was removed, the wooden crate protecting the statue was carefully removed as artist Mike Tabor supervised and directed the careful unpacking of the statue.
Once unpacked, the statue was wrapped in protective blankets, lifted up and lowered onto the granite base. The entire process lasted just over an hou and served as an exciting distraction for students at Center School who spent most of that time watching through their classroom windows.
To complete the installation, a plaque with Team Hoyt’s motto of "Yes You Can" was placed on the base. Tabor posed with the statue for the crowd, but the statue in its entirety will not be visible until its official unveiling.
The statue was commissioned by John Hancock and will be donated to the town of Hopkinton.
Elected officials including Congressman Joe Kennedy, along with local officials and approximately 400 students from Center School are expected to join Rick and Dick Hoyt and sculptor Mike Tabor on the Center School lawn on Monday, April 8th for the official unveiling
