Construction Accident Indiana

I had the honor of speaking  for Kids' Chance at the Indiana Workers' Memorial on April 28, 2009 at the Indiana Statehouse. A total of 128 Indiana workers died at the workplace last year, including iron workers, carpenters, masons, electricians and factory workers.  The deaths occurred in Indianapolis, South Bend, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Terre Haute workplaces.
Several Indiana construction workers were killed  during road construction accidents. Kids' Chance provides college scholarships to kids whose parents were killed or catastrophically injured at the workplace. While Indiana has its own chapter, there are similar chapters all over the country.  It was a  sad and humbling experience to speak at  the service, and I would be honored if given another opportunity.  A link to kids' chance is on the right column.

Here is the text of my speech:


Worker’s Memorial Day

Love Hurts- Especially when those we love die unexpectedly.  We say goodbye in the morning, not knowing that this goodbye is goodbye not for today, but forever. And it to those to whom we say goodbye that we are here to honor today.

And Who are these people?

They are the men and women who build the buildings, work the fields, run the factories and build the roads that the people of Indiana enjoy every day. They are people with dirt under their fingernails and gold in their hearts. They are our friends, they are our neighbors, they are our families, they are us.

Everyone loves their kids.

I have never met anyone who didn’t love their kids.

Parents always want to be there for their kids.

They want to be there when they take their first steps; say their first words; to take the training wheels off.

They want to be there on the first day of school; to walk them to the bus stop; to put the homemade Christmas ornaments on the tree.

And they want to be there when they get older: to teach them to drive; find their first job; walk them down the aisle.

But sometimes God has other plans.

And it up to those of us left behind to pick up the torch so untimely dropped. Kids’chance cannot do everything, but we can do something, and what we can do is to help keep the promise of hope alive. The hope that the dreams of a college education for the children of our fallen workers are not lost. If you lost someone this year, and they have children between the ages of 16 and 25, or who will be, and who want to pursue their education,   please apply. We have more money than applicants. Our brochures are available at the table. Or on the web at www.kidschancein.org.

You are not alone, we are here to help.

Mis mas cinceros pesames

 I am Sorry for Your loss.

Thank You.