On a cold night in West Reading, a warmth radiated from the traffic circle that connects Buttonwood Street and Fifth, Reading and Tulpehocken avenues.
It wasn’t the floodlights set up overhead. Or the coats, hats, gloves and scarves that covered the hundreds gathered on grass hardened by the bitter December air. Rather it was the sense of community and the memory of a little girl, gone too soon, that made the bone-chilling cold seem secondary Monday night.
“A year ago, Delaney (Brown) asked for one wish from friends and family,” West Reading Mayor Valentin Rodriquez Jr. said from a microphone in the center of the circle. “Laney wanted to hear the joyful sound of caroling outside of her door. It took the community and people from all over Berks and other parts of Pennsylvania to make that happen.”
Delaney Brown – known to most as “Laney,” the girl who loved fashion, the color pink, Taylor Swift and alligators – passed away last Christmas morning, months after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia.
Laney was just 8.
“We’re gathered here tonight in honor of her memory,” Rodriguez said. “From this day forward, this traffic circle will be known as Delaney Circle.”
The dedication of Delaney Circle came during West Reading’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting event. It featured Christmas carols, Disney princesses, a performance by the Berks Ballet Theatre and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on a borough fire truck.
As part of the dedication, a stone honoring Laney’s life was placed in the circle, along with a frog sculpture painted by her father, Jeremiah Brown.
Ornaments dotted West Reading’s Christmas tree – pink angel wings in memory of children who have lost their battle with cancer, and golden boxing gloves, representing those still fighting.
“This means a lot to our family,” Jen Brown, Laney’s mother, said. “Last year, 10,000 people flooded our street during the worst time of our lives. And you supported us. It feels good to still hear her (Laney’s) name on a daily basis, and feel the love from the community.”
Through its support, Brown said, the Berks community, led by the family’s hometown of West Reading, “has put childhood cancer on the map.”
“They truly care and they truly love the kids,” Brown said. “Thank you to the mayor and the borough. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Contact Becca Y. Gregg: 610-371-5032 or [email protected].
