A statue in the Vision of Hope Garden was stolen from its base at Town Hall Park sometime in late May or early June, according to representatives from the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, and are asking for the public's help to find the statue.
The statue, titled "The Spirit of Hope" by sculptor Eileen Barry, was created in 1995 for the garden at .
"The Spirit of Hope" featured a woman in a flowing dress, arms reaching to the sky and on her tip-toes. The statue was prominently featured in the center of the garden, which features a brick layout in the shape of a breast cancer awareness ribbon.
"I can't begin to tell you how special she is to us," said Tess Helfman, President of the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition. "I met with the artist, and she was really happy to hear how inspirational she was to us, but sad to hear what had happened."
The statue was cut at the feet, leaving a smooth edge where it had formerly stood. Helfman suggested a high-powered, generator-using machine would be needed to cut it off since the statue was anchored in to its base.
"It's just such a shame," said Beverly Flaherty, a representative from the coalition. "It was worth about $5,000 when we purchased in 1995. It’s probably worth even more now."
The statue was last verified to be seen by coalition members in late April when the that helps maintain the park had visited. By their next visit in the first week of June, the statue had been sawed off.
"It really means a lot to us," said Helfman.
Babylon Town Hall Park doesn't have security equipment in the area of the park where the Vision of Hope Garden is located - the southeast corner of Town Hall grounds on Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst. The garden is owned and maintained by the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition.
The Coalition asks anyone with information about the statue or who might've taken it, to call its headquarters - 631-893-4110 - or call Suffolk County Police with any tips.
