Fall River man donating one of a kind bench to city charity

It is a piece I doubt you have seen before. A piece that was created out of love for Fall River that will help raise funds for a worthwhile cause.

John Souza, who works for a local steel company, has always been a builder. He was unsure, however, how far he could take his talent.

“I was curious whether I would be able to create something ornamental, and it just kind of took on a life of its own. I started with a replica of the Braga Bridge and then it grew into more. I just wanted to build something that showed the pride of Fall River.”

And build he did.

When we found a picture of his masterpiece on social media, we contacted John and discovered he was looking for a home for the bench. Figuring they would know a good place for it, we put John in contact with the City. Special Assistant to Mayor Correia, Monica Sousa, had an idea.

“I was able to speak to John about the cool bench he made and he agreed to donate it to a raffle for the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall Fund. John will be a part of history here in our City by raising money for the Wall.”

Once the bench is finished, it will then be decided which fundraiser the raffle will take place. John couldn’t be happier about the idea.

“As soon as Monica reached out to me, I told my wife and we both got shivers. It is an honor. We didn’t even think about it for one second. I feel proud of it and I am proud that it will be a part of Fall River history. It is a very unique piece.”

To make sure the final result does the bench justice, John has reached out to a local artist to hopefully paint the bench.

“Otherwise I was thinking of just doing a basic paint job. Maybe Battleship gray.”

We will keep you updated on the finished product and where the raffle will take place.