Wall of Hope gone from Skyline School
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sunday was moving day for the Wall of Hope at Kyron Horman's school, with dozens of volunteers leading the way and his parents taking part.
Even with firefighters using bolt cutters, the chain-link fence didn't come down without a small fight. However, it did come down – in four pieces.
Volunteers held onto the "Wall of Hope" as it was cut. Then they walked each piece in a procession less than half-a-mile down Skyline Boulevard to the wall's new home at the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue station.
Kyron's parents weren't far behind.
"It's so wonderful for him," said Kaine Horman, Kyron Horman's father. "I don't know how else to put it. It's absolutely wonderful ... more than you can even put into words."
They know none of this would be here if it weren't for the kindness of strangers.
"To know that people care about your son that way ... it makes you feel really good," said Desiree Young, Kyron Horman's mother. "It's a good thing."
The wall – and many of the items left for Kyron – will stay in the nearby fire station until firefighters can re-hang it on their property. It only took a little more than an hour for everyone to take down what took months to build. And Kyron's parents tell us they will never forget all the hope and hard work.
In a statement released Monday, Desiree and Kaine thanked those who came out to move the wall, saying they "couldn't have done it without you." They gave a special thank you to the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue team, which not only helped with the move but gave the wall its new home – "allowing us to keep the Wall of Hope in a significant location, by offering their property to display it to the public," the parent's statement reads.
The station was a resting spot that wasn't confirmed until this past Friday, as organizers scrambled to find a new location prior to the Sept. 7 start of Skyline''s new school year. The move came at the consensus of not only the Horman family and the Portland Public School District, but also of the Wall of Hope's creator.
"I was jumping for joy, quite literally," said Wall of Hope creator Amber Schaecher, "and I'm just so excited that we can keep his face out there continuously. And that's what is important."
Now Kyron isn't the only thing missing from Skyline School as people here come together to fill a void that's much larger than the people who are waiting on him to come home.
"We have the stuffed animals all on Kyron's bed, ready for him," his mother said. Some posters and banners, made by community members, also are hung for him to see when he comes home.
Now there are two things to figure out: How will they replace the fence line at the school before students return next week, and when will the Wall of Hope reappear – fully installed – at the fire station? These questions come as everyone continues to wonder when Kyron is finally going to come home.
Kyron's classmates start third grade next week. Two days later – on Sept. 9 – he turns 8 years old.
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