Governor Headlines Morning Ceremony
Large Crowd Turns Out to See Governor Honor Joe DiMaggio
October 2002 — Governor Jeb Bush visited patients, signed giant baseballs and helped to dedicate a new statue October 10th at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
"Today, we pay tribute to a great American hero, Joe DiMaggio, through the dedication of this life-sized, bronze statue of him — to honor his legacy and his remarkable work on behalf of children," Governor Bush said during the morning dedication ceremony.
Introduced by Carlos J. Reyes, Chairman of the South Broward Hospital District Board of Commissioners, Governor Bush praised the hospital's employees for their "extraordinary commitment" to providing healthcare and services to the region's youngest residents and their families, regardless of their ability to pay.
The statue is the work of artist Zenos Frudakis, who has created more than 100 commissioned sculptures for public and private display. The work depicts the youthful DiMaggio, wearing his New York Yankees baseball uniform, kneeling to hand a baseball to a young fan. A plaque on the pedestal says, "We never stand so tall as when we stoop to help a child."
Pediatric Associates, based in Hollywood and the largest private pediatric practice in the nation, gave the statue in memory of Dr. Scott Bruno, son of Dr. William Bruno, a former Chief of Staff at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Citing some of the hospital's achievements and programs, Governor Bush said, "This is the only hospital in Broward and Palm Beach counties that provides open heart surgery for children." He added an impressed, "Wow."
The morning also included a breakfast for dignitaries, physicians, Memorial Foundation donors and Memorial Healthcare System employees. During the breakfast, attendees watched a videotape in which Governor Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, congratulated Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital on it's 10th birthday.
"If Joe DiMaggio were here today, he would be proud to celebrate this special occasion and would be very proud of the fact that this is a world-class children's hospital," the President said. "Congratulations on a decade of excellence."