Commitment
Just opposite the Hyatt Regency is a little park in the central reservation of the carriageway. Everything in it is dedicated to the fight against cancer. It is very inspiring.
The Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Plaza on Loyola Avenue. The park has been completely refurbished after suffering significant damage during Hurricane Katrina.
The unique pocket park features 14 x 25-foot monolithic columns in parallel rows and a triumphal arch amid palm trees, shrubs and seasonal flowers, benches and a newly refurbished fountain.
It's designed to be a tribute to the living, and a healing oasis in the heart of the Central Business District. Dedicated in 1995, the plaza was the pride of then-Mayor Sidney Barthelemy.
At age 52, Richard A. Bloch was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and told he had three months to live. When he beat the odds through aggressive treatment, doctors suggested that he establish the means to help other patients survive. Bloch devoted the rest of his life to inspiring hope and the courage to fight the disease.
Sculptors designed brick and concrete pillars using powerful symbols from ancient and modern cultures, drawing on traditions as varied as those from Indonesia, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Arabia, Russia and pre-Columbian America. Local artist Brian Borrello designed the New Orleans column, with brass instruments encircling its capital to reflect the city's jazz heritage.
The park features a brick "positive mental attitude" walkway flanked by a series of bronze plaques communicating inspirational and instructional messages about cancer. Among them: "Cancer is the most curable of chronic diseases."
Eight bronze figures crafted by Victor Salmones symbolize patients and their families before, during and after treatment.
"The park is a tribute to life," Annette Bloch said.
The park itself is a survivor, after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina's winds and the floodwaters that followed the levee breaches. The globe from the fountain was rolling down Loyola Avenue.
Michael Smith, general manager of the nearby Hyatt Regency, arranged to adopt the neutral ground. As the Hyatt's general manager before, during and after Katrina, he had returned to lead the charge.
When the Hyatt was renovated after the storm, the entrance was moved to Loyola Avenue, and the park became its front yard.
The columns are now patched and power-sprayed, the foliage is trimmed and the fountain refurbished. Now, the park not only is a tribute to cancer survivors, but also a fine symbol of the city's post-Katrina revival.
Commitment
Just opposite the Hyatt Regency is a little park in the central reservation of the carriageway. Everything in it is dedicated to the fight against cancer. It is very inspiring.
The Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Plaza on Loyola Avenue. The park has been completely refurbished after suffering significant damage during Hurricane Katrina.
The unique pocket park features 14 x 25-foot monolithic columns in parallel rows and a triumphal arch amid palm trees, shrubs and seasonal flowers, benches and a newly refurbished fountain.
It's designed to be a tribute to the living, and a healing oasis in the heart of the Central Business District. Dedicated in 1995, the plaza was the pride of then-Mayor Sidney Barthelemy.
At age 52, Richard A. Bloch was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and told he had three months to live. When he beat the odds through aggressive treatment, doctors suggested that he establish the means to help other patients survive. Bloch devoted the rest of his life to inspiring hope and the courage to fight the disease.
Sculptors designed brick and concrete pillars using powerful symbols from ancient and modern cultures, drawing on traditions as varied as those from Indonesia, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Arabia, Russia and pre-Columbian America. Local artist Brian Borrello designed the New Orleans column, with brass instruments encircling its capital to reflect the city's jazz heritage.
The park features a brick "positive mental attitude" walkway flanked by a series of bronze plaques communicating inspirational and instructional messages about cancer. Among them: "Cancer is the most curable of chronic diseases."
Eight bronze figures crafted by Victor Salmones symbolize patients and their families before, during and after treatment.
"The park is a tribute to life," Annette Bloch said.
The park itself is a survivor, after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina's winds and the floodwaters that followed the levee breaches. The globe from the fountain was rolling down Loyola Avenue.
Michael Smith, general manager of the nearby Hyatt Regency, arranged to adopt the neutral ground. As the Hyatt's general manager before, during and after Katrina, he had returned to lead the charge.
When the Hyatt was renovated after the storm, the entrance was moved to Loyola Avenue, and the park became its front yard.
The columns are now patched and power-sprayed, the foliage is trimmed and the fountain refurbished. Now, the park not only is a tribute to cancer survivors, but also a fine symbol of the city's post-Katrina revival.