Mission Viejo group brings artwork, $10,000 for tornado relief

A delegation from Mission Viejo, Calif., on Monday delivered a check for tornado relief and some public artwork.

The artwork is a ceramic tile mural called “Doves of Peace.” A subtitle reads “for the city of Joplin, Missouri, to help rebuild their parks after an incredible F5 tornado in May 2011.” It is on display in Joplin City Hall. A nearly identical one is on display in the City Hall in Mission Viejo, in southern California.

The group presented the city with a check for $10,000 on Monday. They had raised the money from many fundraisers, including raffles of gift baskets, and selling the opportunity to glaze pieces of tile that are part of the mural.

Cathy Allen and Margot Ferron headed up the fundraising effort. Allen, with the city activities committee, was organizing the town’s Fourth of July street fair when the tornado struck Joplin. Allen went to Mayor Dave Leckness with the idea of using the event to do something for Joplin. He approved.

Ferron joined the effort and began the Mission Viejo Supports Joplin campaign.

Booths at the street fair allowed children to create cards showing their support for Joplin children. It also attracted their parents, where large water jugs were awaiting their donations.

That effort raised $2,667. Allen and Ferron said they knew they could do better.

The Orange County city’s Hometown Block Party at the end of July provided another fundraising opportunity, with Christmas in July and a theme of “It’s better to give than to receive.” The event was sponsored by Mission Viejo’s Pacific Symphony.

They raffled tickets to a Los Angeles Angels baseball game.

“It was raised a dollar and $5 at a time,” Ferron said. She said the initial goal was $5,000, but it kept increasing each time the goal was met.

Ferron and Allen said they also were assisted by Lion’s Heart, a youth organization, and the local Boy Scouts troop.

On Sept. 9, with the fund $800 short of the $10,000 mark, an anonymous donor pitched in with the final $800.

The artwork is from a painting by the late Joe Koons in about 1969. He was a mentor of Melanie Yarak, who was part of the group who came to Joplin. Yarak said Koons taught her about the idea of allowing community members to glaze the tiles. Koons died before the “Doves of Peace” mural was created. His daughter, Jennifer Koons, was another artist listed on the piece. The fourth artist is Cha-Rie Tang.

Julie Koons, Joe Koons’ widow and Jennifer Koons’ mother, also traveled to Joplin for the presentation.

“I’m very proud and I know he would be thrilled,” Julie Koons said of the destination of her late husband’s art.

“He was the kind of guy who talked with a laugh,” Yarak said of her mentor. “I can just hear him telling me ‘incredible,’ if I were to tell him how his art was being used.”