Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring July 17, 2024, as Mattie J. T. Stepanek Peace Day in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation. The proclamation will be presented to the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation President, Dr. Jeni Stepanek, Foundation Vice President Stacey MacKinnon, and others.
Discussion
Mattie J. T. Stepanek, who was a young poet and peacemaker hero, passed away on June 22, 2004, from a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Mattie's poems of peace and hope have touched millions of lives, and his "Heartsongs" continues to reach out to people of all ages around the world.
Mattie’s family chose to live in Rockville, Maryland, and Mattie loved his neighbors in the King Farm Community and his many friends throughout the City. Shortly after Mattie's death, his friends and neighbors in King Farm established the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation with the mission of spreading Mattie's message of hope and peace. Mattie's Foundation offers educational and recreational programs, activities, and resources that encourage peacemaking and support the understanding of peace for individuals and our world.
In 2014, a congressional resolution was passed to declare July 17 (Mattie’s birthday) as “National Peace Day” to honor Mattie’s life and peace legacy.
Special Note: June 2024, marks the 20th Anniversary of Mattie’s passing and there was a special 20 Year Memorial Mass held at Saint Rose of Lima, on June 22, 2024, in Gaithersburg, MD.
Mayor and Council History
Each year, the Mayor and Council declare Mattie T. J. Stepanek Peace Day in the City of Rockville.
Public Notification and Engagement