By Al Stilley
Editor 
 
The memory of Blake Bowell will be ongoing at Garfield Park following an emotional
dedication of Blake’s Children’s Garden in front of 150 family, friends and supporters Friday.“ This is a welcoming area for children and their parents,” stated Beth Krouch, chief operating officer of Indy Parks. “A lovely tribute to Blake’s love for art and nature.”

The garden is located adjacent to the eastside of the Garfield Park Conservatory and features a sculpture “Divine Light’ and “Fran’s Place,” an outdoor education center. In his opening remarks, Friends of the Garfield Park board member Bob Kizer acknowledged, “Blake felt comfort in the nature of the park.”

With the opening of Blake’s garden, supporters expressed their hopes that visitors would also find comfort in the latest addition to the beauty of Garfield Park. Mark Bowell, Blake’s father and executive director of Friends of Garfield Park, acknowledged family members and longtime friends of Blake.“

When you do something like this, you look at life in many different ways,” Bowell said while honoring all donors. “I could never imagine how this turned out. I know Blake is looking down and he is smiling.”

Upon entering the garden, visitors will see a colorful sculpture that is 5 feet, 8 inches in height, the same as Blake, and designed by Franklin Central High School alumnae and artist Kenzie Funk. She described the sculpture, “Divine Light” as “a representation of Blake Bowell’s life and his transition to the divine light that will echo through eternity.”

Friends of Garfield Park president Lynda Burrello recalled that Blake had great leadership qualities. He had to miss a team contest as a youth, but his teammates did not want to play if their leader wasn’t among them. Burrello said she encouraged them to play and to win the game for Blake which they did.

She also recalled that he befriended a six-year-old swimmer who was on the park’s swim team.

At a swim meet, team captain Blake noticed that the swimmer was having trouble during a race, so he jumped in the pool and made sure he finished. The young boy told Burrello later that he wished he could be a leader like Blake someday. Blake also was a tireless volunteer at the conservatory.

“He was an amazing young man,” said Burrello before reading the plaque that will be a permanent part of the garden.

The plaque reads: “Blake Bowell grew up on the southside of Indianapolis. He played at Garfield Park, worked at Garfield Park and spent some of his last days on earth at Garfield Park. He loved Garfield Park. Blake, the son of Mark Bowell and LeDania Carmichael, and grandson of long-time Garfield Park residents David and Dale Bowell, was born on May 5, 1992 and lived an adventurous and courageous life before passing away on June 5, 2017after a four-year battle with brain cancer. The Friends of Garfield Park wish to thank all those companies and individuals who gave to make this children’s garden become a reality.”

Many of those honored companies and individuals, including longtime Garfield Park benefactor P.E. MacAllister, were in attendance. Among the honorees were the Hagerman Group, Mader Design, Friends of Garfield Park, Indy Parks and Recreation, Brad and Wendi Shaffer Family Foundation, Deco Coatings, Bowen Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment, MacAllister Machinery, Guardian Locating, Shelby Materials and BlakeStrong Bowell Fund. Bowell also acknowledged various family members, friends and supporters of his son during his 25 years. Bowell praised MacAllister for his personal support and
value to Garfield Park by stating, “At 100 years old, he is still graciously giving of his time, treasure and talent to our community. P.E. wanted to honor his late wife Fran.”

He then announced that an area of the garden directly behind the “Divine Light” sculpture will be
designated as “Fran’s Place,” for outdoor education and groups.

A lively BlakeStrong Fest capped the two-day festivities at MacAllister Amphitheater in the park. The third annual event featured performances by Hyryder-a Grateful Experience, Free but Not Cheap,
The Lookouts, Barbender, Cathy Morris and the Indianapolis 500 Gordon Pipers. during the weekend at Garfield Park.

Funds from the festival benefit BlakeStrong and Friends of Garfield Park.

By Al Stilley
Editor
 
“Mission of Grace 2019” from the Southside to Myanmar was so successful last month that St. Mark Catholic School Principal Rusty Albertson plans on a second mission next summer.

Albertson also announced that steps are under way to bring two Catholic sisters from Myanmar in January to assist teachers at St. Mark school – the foundation of a proposed exchange program.

Albertson, his wife Julie and daughter Grace, a San Damiano scholarship junior at Marian University, made the trip June 12-26 to Myanmar (formerly Burma).

“This is the type of program that could grow,” said Albertson who pointed out there are 170 pupils at St. Mark from Myanmar. “In order for us to provide for the needs of 40 percent of our students, we need to be in partnership with them.”

Albertson also explained the goal of the inaugural mission: “We went there not to teach them; we were there to learn from them.”

Appropriately, Grace said, “The goal was to build sustainable relationships.”

By the way, the mission was not named for Albertson’s daughter, but it was suggested by Myanmar native and St. Mark parishioner Ambrose Kap Chin who accompanied them on the mission trip.

Here’s what they learned: the people are friendly and selfless regardless of economic status, welcoming, hard-working, and passionate about their faith.

Albertson repeated that he wanted to go to Myanmar and experience the varied Burmese culture firsthand so he can relate better to them at St. Mark.

“We met proud people; they would give you something out of kindness,” Albertson said. “Honestly, the trip for me personally makes me want to go back and learn more. It lit a spark. After we came home, I realize that I need to be a truthful ambassador to others about what we saw over there.”

The Albertsons and Chin departed from Chicago on June 12 to Seoul, Korea and then to Yangon in southern Myanmar before returning to the U.S. on June 26. They stayed in Yangon for a day and then went to rural Kalaymyo, a “vibrant Catholic community,” where they headquartered for most of their journeys.

Shortly after their arrival, Chin’s family and friends honored him with a dinner of thanksgiving. Only one member of his family, a sister, Angela Dim, is on the Southside as a teaching assistant at St. Mark. She is hopeful of joining them for Mission of Grace 2020.

They also became reacquainted with Bishop Felix Lian who visited St. Mark school last year and invited the Albertsons to Myanmar.

“When we arrived, my wife asked him if he believed that we would take him up on his offer this soon,” Albertson recalled.

Albertson said their journey by car on a narrow pathway to Tidem as “precarious,” and the mountains at Tonzang as “beautiful” and bringing him closer to God. Albertson also ate beef tongue which he said tasted like a pork loin.

“The children in schools there are like our children here,” Albertson said. “They are happy, they are learning about the faith. Being an educator and a parent, we saw the most unabashed and pure children. I texted our teachers that their pre-k’s are just like ours, except they take longer naps.”

Albertson added, “We felt their friendliness and experienced their hospitality consistently.”

However, the Albertsons emphasized that meeting the Burmese overseas will enable them to relate to parishioners at St. Mark.

“By going over there, the biggest thing I learned  is that there is so much we don’t know about them,” Grace said. “We will always be in a learning process here. It is interesting to see the differences and similarities, and it should spark a conversation. Being there with them was eye-opening because we could begin to understand our own ignorance. We gained knowledge and perspective.”

Their trip was somewhat “guarded” because they did not experience all of Myanmar.

“We didn’t experience any hardship; we didn’t see it,” Grace said. “While we are saying these positive things about their lives, people do experience awful things in the country that we are not really qualified to speak about.”
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Albertson is awaiting two teacher aides from Myanmar to arrive here in January with hopes of sending a teacher from St. Mark to Myanmar. And the family is eager to return to Myanmar for “Mission of Grace 2020.”