LyondellBasell unveils 9/11 mural to honor first responders
LyondellBasell, the petrochemical company with headquarters in Houston and the Netherlands, honored first responders Wednesday with a custom mural commissioned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Artists Alex “Donkeeboy” Roman and Sylvia “Donkeemom” Roman, who attended the unveiling, completed the 28-by-28-foot artwork spanning three stories. Two firetruck cranes — from LyondellBasell’s emergency response teams facilities in Bayport and Channelview — helped with the big reveal.
“The mural does have both skylines in the background, New York and Houston,” said LyondellBasell representative Kara Slaughter. “We provided direction on what we wanted to see in the mural, like first responders, honoring 9/11 and the skylines, but gave him creative control over what that looked like.”
The Romans incorporated the company’s signature blue into the finished project, which took roughly a week to complete. Faces of emergency medical technicians, paramedics and firefighters are featured inside block letters that spell out “Never Forget.”
Before the unveiling, LyondellBasell senior vice president Kim Foley presented $100,000 checks to the Texas Task Force Foundation and Texas A&M Engineering Extension. Both organizations support and train first responders.
The former, a federal response team under FEMA’s National Urban Search and Rescue System and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, played an essential role during 9/11, as well as after tornadoes and hurricanes, including Hurricane Ida.
The latter provides emergency response training through programs, including a 16-hour live-fire training at the Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station; the 297-acre facility attracts 45,000 respondersin-training annually from all 50 states and more than 45 countries.
On behalf of the city of Houston, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 8 “LyondellBasell First Responders Day.”