A large crowd gathered in the lobby of Reed Intermediate School for a special Buddy Bench dedication ceremony to honor the late Rosario “Ross” Salvo on Tuesday, November 26.

Ross was a former Reed student who died unexpectedly in June 2018 at the age of 12.

It appeared that in his physical lifetime, while it may have been short, he proved to positively impact all who knew him, because those who gathered for the ceremony included school staff, community members, family, and friends of all ages.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with one another in a gigantic circle, Ross’ sixth grade language arts teacher Julie Shull thanked everyone for being there.

“Ross Salvo was a one-of-a-kind student who touched the lives of so many people in this community,” Ms Shull said. “He appreciated and valued every day… He never took a single moment for granted. His excitement and enthusiasm for life was contagious.”

His upbeat attitude, affinity for celebrating life to the fullest, and all around awesomeness led him to earn the catchphrase of being “Rossome.”

Ms Shull continued, “He was truly ‘Rossome’ and will never be forgotten. We’ve decided to dedicate this bench to him to symbolize all that he stood for: friendship, positivity, community.”

The bench, which reads “In loving memory of Ross Salvo ‘Always Be Rossome,’” was paid for by the student council at Reed.

Ms Shull shared a moving story from a former classmate of Ross’, whose friendship began on a bench reminiscent of the one dedicated to him.

“I remember when I moved to Newtown in third grade. I was upset because it was in the middle of the year and I didn’t know anyone,” Ms Shull read. “Ross walked right up to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and said ‘What’s the matter?’ Then that same day at recess, I was sitting on the friendship bench, and he came over and we just talked the whole recess. Ross was my first friend.”

In Ross’ memory, the Buddy Bench will be there for those that need a friend and those that can be a friend to someone in need.

“Through this bench, Ross’ spirit of friendship and community will live on. Each time students and staff at Reed see this bench, we, too, will remember to do our best to be Rossome,” Ms Shull said.

She ended her speech with a quote from Mother Teresa: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

A Father Reflects

On behalf of Ross’ family, his father, Pat Salvo, thanked everyone for their support. Standing with him was his wife, Diane; Ross’ older sister, Beth; and Ross’ twin sister, Christine.

“I often said, when you saw Ross for the first time, you saw a kid with special needs. But all you had to do was talk to him, see him interact, and you’d know he was a kid with special gifts,” Mr Salvo told the crowd. “He loved life, he loved God, he loved his family, [and] he loved his friends.”

Mr Salvo shared that to be Rossome means having a smile; a sense of humor; reaching out to those who may be alone, sad, or different; and taking a CPR class to help others in need — all characteristics of Ross.

He added, “To be Rossome means to find out what we have in common and not what’s different and build upon that.”

Then, together, both of Ross’ sisters did the honor of cutting the ribbon that lay tied across the bench.

Memories Shared

While still in a circle, everyone was invited to share memories of Ross with one another.

Michelle Failla, Reed’s health/physical education teacher, recalled how Ross would always look at life with a positive attitude, whether playing goalie in soccer on his crutches or during the physical education testing.

“He was the one out there never giving up. While other said, ‘Do I have to? He’d say, “Do I get to?’” Ms Failla remembered. “He was a cheerleader for all of us.”

Then she turned to his family and said, “I will never forget your son, your brother. It’s a privilege to have loved him and taught him.”

Laura Nowacki, who knew Ross from helping coach the Hawley Hoopsters team, shared a special memory of seeing him persevere and succeed.

“With braces on, back when he was wearing them, he tried and tried and tried to get that free-throw… When he finally got it, he fell over he was so proud,” Ms Nowacki said.

“If anyone wants to honor his memory come to Hoopsters, starting in December, and help the kids with special needs. Be the mentor. They will teach you more than you can ever teach them. He is my hero, always,” she added.

Following everyone’s emotional tributes to Ross, Ms Shull concluded the ceremony by sharing cookies with the children, and a line immediately formed for friends and family to sit on the Buddy Bench.