A rededication ceremony will take place Saturday, Aug. 29, in Stockton for the Helen Keller Centennial Bench and Mural, one year after the original bench went missing from the Maya Angelou Branch Library.
The event will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. at the library, 2324 Pock Lane in Stockton.
In August 2025, an ivy green bench that was placed at the south Stockton Maya Angelou Branch Library to honor the disabled community and disability activist Helen Keller was stolen.
The bench was placed in the back area of the library on June 28, 2025, just a few days before the 100th anniversary of Keller’s historic June 30, 1925, address challenging the Lions
Clubs to become Knights of the Blind.
At the time the bench was stolen, Jennifer Gass, with the San Joaquin Lions Club, said a police report had been filed but there were no cameras in the area, making it unclear when exactly the bench was taken.
Although members of the San Joaquin Lions Club and advocates for the disabled community pleaded for the public's help in bringing back the special bench, it was never returned.
The San Joaquin Lions Club said in a statement that, with the help of continued community partnership, a new bench is now being placed at the library.
Gass said their club had received the original bench through the “Bags for Benches” program. Under the program, a club recycles plastics through a local partner store to earn a free composite bench made of plastic blended with wood from Trex.
The club said the rededication carries a special meaning for them.
“The resilience of the disabilities community of San Joaquin County has once again been tested," Gass said in a statement. "We celebrate this triumph over the tragedy of the stolen bench and renew our faith in people doing good in our community."
She said the celebration will also spotlight the work of mural artist Diana M. Buettner, whose Helen Keller Centennial Mural provides a visual reminder of Keller’s determination, leadership and belief in the potential of people with disabilities.
Attendees will have the chance to meet Buettner and learn more about the story and inspiration behind the artwork.
"The project also recognizes the generosity of past Council Chair Claudia Miller, donor of the replacement bench, and the city of Stockton for its continued partnership in the community’s 'Bags for Benches' plastic recycling project,” the San Joaquin Lions Club said in a statement.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Dedication ceremony to be held for Helen Keller tribute bench in Stockton
