Crowds of cheering students and fans lined the streets and schools of Mount Vernon on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, as the city and school district celebrated Rai Benjamin. The three-time Olympic gold medalist and native of the city was honored with a motorcade, Mount Vernon High School Hall of Fame dedication, and ceremony at Memorial Field.
The day started with a meet and greet at Mount Vernon High School, complete with gold medal cookies baked by culinary students. Administrators and council members spoke with Rai and his family to show their appreciation for him for the impact he has made on the community.
“It feels pretty good,” said Rai. “I mean, it’s good to be celebrated and to have gotten this far with everyone in this room that nurtured me to this point. I’m feeling really excited about it and I’m really happy. It’s just a testimony to having the hard work that I put in come to fruition. It’s very nostalgic being here.”
Afterward, guests made their way over to the Hall of Fame, where Rai received a space with other notable alumni such as Dick Clark and Ken Singleton. Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith and MVHS Principal Dr. Pauline Pearce gave tribute to Rai in their speeches before revealing the newest addition.
“Today was a very historical day. It was the Rai Benjamin Day in Mount Vernon. We gave Rai a hero’s welcome via a motorcade that passed by all 16 school buildings and the district office. He received cheers from the jewels of our district – our children. The excitement and pride were evident as Rai is one of Mount Vernon City School District’s shining stars. Yes, he is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a silver medalist. Furthermore, he is the fastest 400-meter hurdler in the whole world. However, what is particularly noteworthy is that he was an exceptional student. This status has a tremendous impact on our school community. I am certain that many of our students are calling Rai their favorite athlete. To this end, he is a hero to the Mount Vernon community and an exemplary role model. Subsequently, the district placed Rai in our Hall of Fame and we named our track in his honor. He certainly is worthy of these recognitions,” Dr. Smith shared with Black Westchester.
“As I talked to the teachers who had you, they had some very important things that they wanted to share with me,” said Dr. Pearce. “One of the things that they talked about was your humility. They talked about the fact that you were in with every one of your peers and you made sure that you were available to help anyone who needed help. That is something we want our children to aspire to be.”
Once Rai received his spot on the Hall of Fame, he made his way onto the motorcade with his family, friends and coaches to head over to the MVHS track, where they announced the new name of the track as Rai Benjamin Track.
“What an amazing day here,” said JB Smoove, actor and MVHS alum. “We are celebrating Rai Benjamin, we call him King Benjamin. This is an extension of what’s possible if you work hard and achieve your dreams. He has inspired so many young people here and showed that all their dreams are possible. I am here because I want to support him. Now, when I come back, I know that that track was just dedicated to this man. I am looking forward to his dreams, his achievements, and all of the seeds he just planted into the mind of these young people.”
While at the track, Rai took photos with students and signed autographs before getting back on the motorcade to travel through the City of Mount Vernon and stop at all 16 schools, The Doles Center and City Hall.
Many of Rai’s loved ones and friends attended the ceremonies and rode in the motorcade as well, celebrating as it passed through the city.
“It’s a lot,” said Jeanette Mason, Rai’s mother. “I never imagined this day would come or happen. He’s been honored in such a way; he’s inducted in the Hall of Fame. I remember coming to Mount Vernon High School and seeing all of these famous actors and athletes on the Hall of Fame, and I did not imagine this happening or even the field being named after him. I’m just so happy. It’s a great accomplishment for him. It’s something I can’t even process, I can’t put it into words.”
As the motorcade wound through the city, students and teachers cheered from in front of their schools. Students waved handmade signs that were created in art classes throughout the District. They understood the importance of Rai’s accomplishments and were inspired that he was from their hometown.
“This is inspiring to me because students from small towns like Mount Vernon often get overlooked because they are not from big cities,” said Tristan Crawford, an eighth-grade student at Mount Vernon Honor Academy. “Rai Benjamin shows us that we can do anything!”
Before the visit, seventh-grade Mount Vernon Leadership Academy students also watched the race.
“My favorite part about watching the race was when he jumped over the last hurdle,” said Cinsir Vasquez, a seventh-grade student at MVLA. “I feel excited to see a celebrity who has been all around the world running for us.”
Bystanders watched as the motorcade passed their homes and waved to the Olympian. The motorcade finally stopped at Memorial Field, where the plaza leading into the field was renamed as Rai Benjamin Plaza.
Marcus Green, Rai’s coach at MVHS, stood before the crowd at Memorial Field and recognized the impact that Rai has made on the city.
“I had the opportunity to ride around in the back of the motorcade and watch as we proceeded through the city, and I saw some amazing things. I saw some young people light up when this young man came by. I saw young people cheering and high-fiving each other running along, trying to keep up.”
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard recognized the groups of dignitaries at Memorial Field, which included Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, New York State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Mount Vernon City Council President Cathlin Gleason and City of Mount Vernon Comptroller Darren Morton.
“It was a beautiful day in the City of Mount Vernon as we collectively celebrated our HOMETOWN GOLD MEDAL OLYMPIAN Rai Benjamin,” Mayor SPH shared with Black Westchester. “We are so proud of his accomplishments and equally humbled by the man and humanitarian that he is. He is an amazing A Mount Vernon and a role model for our youth.”
Rai received a key to the City of Mount Vernon and proclamations from the City of Mount Vernon, Westchester County conferred by Deputy County Executive Jenkins, and the State of New York conferred by Assemblyman Pretlow. As the ceremony closed, the mark that Rai Benjamin has made on his hometown was clear, and it will last for the next generations with the Rai Benjamin Track and the Rai Benjamin Plaza at Memorial Field.
“Congratulations to Mount Vernon’s own, 3-time Olympic Gold medal winner Rai Benjamin. Westchester County is proud to join with Mt. Vernon in recognizing this tremendous achievement representing excellence on the world stage, DCE Jenkins shared with Black Westchester.
Mount Vernon City Court Judge Lyndon Williams, who is a former County Legislator who fought for almost two decades for the restoration of Memorial Field through four Mount Vernon Mayors and two County Executives, told Black Westchester when he looks at the field now, it was well worth the fight.
“It’s a proud day for Mount Vernon to celebrate Rai Benjamin. We celebrate his success as an Olympic Gold Medalist as well as his humility, character, and persistent drive to succeed. He is a role model for young people to emulate,” Williams shared with Black Westchester.
