CLEVELAND — Over 80 years ago, Olympian Jesse Owens planted an oak tree sapling at James Ford Rhodes High School in Cleveland, where Owens practiced track.
Today, city officials, educators and students gathered for the planting of a propagated sapling of the Jesse Owens Olympic oak tree.
The tree planting ceremony took place at 1 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon at James Ford Rhodes High School.
The tree that was planted is a "powerful symbol" of the legacy left behind by Owens. In 1936, Owens won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin.
Following his success, the Olympic Committee presented Owens with four English oak saplings which were planted in Berlin, at his childhood home, the Ohio State University and James Ford Rhodes High School.
The decision to plant a new tree was made after the original tree at the high school did not see any growth in spring 2022.
CMSD, Holden Forests & Gardens as well as CNP worked with partners to help memorialize the original tree that was planted.
The sampling that was planted on Wednesday was grown by Holden Forests & Gardens and Klyn Nurseries Inc.
The following were in attendance at the ceremony:
- Kris Harsh, City of Cleveland Councilman
- Tyrone Owens
- Jeff Verespej, chief of staff & operations for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
- Jill Koski, president and CEO of Holden Forests & Gardens
- Tara Drouhard, principal of Rhodes School of Environmental Studies
- Lucas Reeve, executive director of Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation
- Students from the James Ford Rhodes High School Campus
- Stakeholders involved with protecting and caring for the Jesse Owens Olympic oak tree
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above previously aired on 3News on July 22, 2021.