The panther has returned (finally)!

The panther statue has been installed among the new fields on the ground of Franklin High School. I captured these photos on my walk last weekend. The panther statue is a gift from the Graci Family in memory of their daughter Kristen Graci, a 2007 graduate of FHS who died at 21 from complications with leukemia. 

(If you are not familiar with the story, you can fill in some details here, here, and here.)

Some of you may recall that I also wrote these same two paragraphs last August. The original panther was not what was ordered so it was removed and has come back to settle in (finally!).

You can read the remainder of what I wrote in August here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/08/the-panther-has-arrived.html


A walk around the panther enabled the following photos:


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FHS Panther - "Franklin athletes never quit"

The Panther has arrived !!!

The panther statue has been installed among the new fields on the ground of Franklin High School. I captured these photos on my walk last weekend. The panther statue is a gift from the Graci Family in memory of their daughter Kristen Graci, a 2007 graduate of FHS who died at 21 from complications with leukemia.

(If you are not familiar with the story, you can fill in some details here, here and here.)

Suffice to say that the trials and tribulations that occurred along the way to bring the panther to this position are not unlike that experienced by any of the FHS athletes in the course of their time wearing the blue and white colors of FHS. 

The way was paved with ups and downs, twists and turns, logic and not so, and multiple conversations. Some lessons were learned, some accomplishments were significant, some will last more than others. Just like life.

Now the panther is properly placed to serve as a reminder of the FHS athlete creed "Franklin athletes never quit."

Panther among the new ball fields at FHS

Panther among the new ball fields at FHS 1

Panther among the new ball fields at FHS 2

Panther among the new ball fields at FHS 3

"I know what I want to do now"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Jun 17, 2008 @ 10:12 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Three months ago, 19-year-old Kristin Graci's life was "pretty crazy, always busy" as a typical college student in the middle of her second semester at Arizona State University.
The former Franklin High School varsity softball starting pitcher was still figuring things out - like what path she wanted to pursue in life. She was enjoying college, spending time with her boyfriend and was looking forward to summertime.
In April, she contracted the flu, which Graci and her loved ones soon discovered was merely a harbinger of a much more foreboding illness.
When two viruses immediately followed, doctors thought Graci might have mononucleosis, but suspected worse, she said.
Graci moved out of her dorm, flew back home on a Sunday, and started undergoing tests at Dana Farber on Monday, she said.
In two days, doctors told her she had leukemia. She spent the next five weeks in the hospital.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Kristin's obituary can be found here:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=kristin-e-graci&pid=141427072