Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — A project that began in 2019 came to fruition with a special dedication ceremony for Petara’s Haven, a new storage building on the Rowan Helping Ministries’ campus.

The late Chris Smith, who was born and raised in this community and went on to become an NFL player, supported his community in many ways and supporting Rowan Helping Ministries was one of those. When asked for help, he answered the call and raised $22,000 to help build this facility, which was named after his late fiancée, Petara Cordero, and their daughter, Haven Smith.

His gift, as shared in a release, helped “to bring this vision to life, ensuring that his fiancée’s memory would be honored in a way that served others. Petara’s Haven stands as a testament to his ability to turn personal loss into a force for good, a reflection of his heart for giving and his belief that love should always have a lasting impact.”

Family and friends of the couple, along with RHM board members and staff and other guests, gathered for the ceremony, which was held on the afternoon of March 4. During the event, Rowan Helping Ministries Executive Director Kyna Grubb shared how the new storage facility became a reality telling those gathered for the occasion that “since 2019, we have been on the journey to this moment.”

Operating their Food for Thought and Family Food Bag programs in the lower level of the Robertson-Stanback building, which also housed building materials and maintenance supplies, the area was packed.

Grubb said that the food pantry, which is located in the Ralph W. Ketner Center, was also where their forklift was being stored.

Gardening supplies were added to these other items being stored in the lower level of the Robertson-Stanback building after the Garden of Eatin, inspired by the Rev. Steve Combs, was planted by Combs and RHM staff and volunteers.

They needed storage space, Grubb said, to house all of the supplies and forklift so they could use those other locations “for our most important work, caring for our neighbors and fighting food insecurity in our community. And that’s when the dream for this she-shed was born.”

Reaching out to Smith for help, who had been a great supporter of Rowan Helping Ministries following in the footsteps of his mom Sherry Smith, who is RHM housing manager, and aunt Anita Allen, who serves as a crisis support specialist, he helped raise funds to make this dream a reality.

Grubb said that Smith was able to “secure a challenge match for Giving Tuesday 2019.”

And while they faced challenges and delays as a result of the pandemic, planning, surveying, zoning and rising costs, she said that “through it all, God provided. Every obstacle was overcome, yet the delays and challenges of this project pale in comparison to the losses we are remembering today” as she spoke of how Chris and Petara’s lives were cut short, too soon, and said, “our hearts ache that Chris isn’t here with us to share in this moment. But we know that God has walked this journey with us and with Chris and Petara’s families.”

Emotional moments, as well as laughter were shared as the mothers of Chris and Petara, Sherry Smith and Denise Smith, respectively, spoke during the ceremony sharing about their children and expressing their gratitude for all who were in attendance.

Wearing a cap with the words “Petara Strong,” Denise Smith stood before the crowd and said, “this is truly an honor.”

Mentioning the pandemic and other factors that brought about the delay in this moment coming about, she then looked toward the building and said, “It took some time, but to stand here and see my daughter’s name on that building and Haven’s name, it’s truly special.”

After taking the opportunity to recognize additional family members, she said that this “is truly an honor for us to be here and to celebrate this occasion even though it came about in tragedy, but there are blessings that God gives us, and he gives us the ability to move forward.” 

Later in the ceremony, Denise told what a wonderful woman her daughter was and said, “to know Petara is to love her. Her spirit lives on in her legacy in Haven and here in this building.”

Sherry Smith then told of Chris and of his kind and generous character and how they knew from the time he was born that “he was destined to do great things.”

As a young child, she said he was picked on and called names, which made him feel worthless; however, he responded with a smile.

Chris was full of energy and Sherry said she and William knew they would have to get him involved in something in addition to school and church and that something was football. 

The youth football league was the beginning of that journey, and from 2008-2010, he wore the West Rowan High School football jersey helping the school win three state championships. Sought by many college programs, he decided to play for the Razorbacks at the University of Arkansas, and this began his journey to the NFL, she said. 

Sherry said that he was “blessed to play in the NFL for eight years” beginning in Jacksonville as he was drafted by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Through the years he also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and the Houston Texans, and at the time of his death in 2023, she said, he was playing in XFL for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

One of the special quotes that his mom said he always remembered centered on character. It was “ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”

And it was this character that she said the NFL coaches and players would talk about, adding that “everyone loved his radiant smile and would ask Chris to often pray before the game started.”

Sherry said that she and William saw he was “more than an NFL player, but also a young man who had compassion for others and was always willing to lend a helping hand to help others.”

There were many who were the recipients of his kind and generous spirit as he donated to local groups, his mom said, including the Rowan-Salisbury School System, the Essie Mae Kiser Foxx Academy, a kidney foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, his home church, Shady Grove Baptist Church at Mt. Ulla, and Rowan Helping Ministries.

He also gave of his time as he spoke to the guests at the RHM New Tomorrows program, and encouraged a teenager there who was struggling. He also mentored students for one of his former teachers and offered assistance to someone experiencing homelessness while in Georgia one day, Sherry said.

Giving, which he did cheerfully, was one thing Chris loved to do, and “that’s why we’re here today,” she said. “It excited him to know God blessed him so that he could be a blessing to others.”

Another blessing in Chris’ life was meeting Petara Cordero. Sherry described her as being a special, beautiful, young lady who was “not only beautiful outside, but she had a beautiful soul.”

Passionate about being a mother, Petara told Sherry that it was important for Chris, Haven and herself to attend church together, and Sherry added that Chris excitedly shared with his parents that he was going to propose to Petara.

With great emotion, Sherry said that “two of the worst days of my life were when I received a call on Sept. 11, 2019, that Petara had passed and the other was the day I received a call that our son Chris had passed, which was April 17, 2023.”

She shared that Chris continued to rely on God to be his joy and strength through the trials and storms in his life, and she too praised God for keeping her through it all.

Chris made an impact in the community, she said and “showed everyone what it means to give selflessly. Chris demonstrated what it means to put God’s love into action.”

On behalf of both families, Sherry thanked everyone for honoring Petara, Chris and Haven in this special way and that even though the two are deeply missed, “we honor their memories by dedicating this storage building in honor of their daughter, Miss Haven Smith.”

Others speaking during the event included Craig Powers, chairman of the board of Shelter Ministries of Rowan County, who opened the ceremony with a welcome, prayer and a thanks to those who made this project possible including donors, Chris Smith, Giving Tuesday donors, Golden LEAF Foundation and Taylor Clay Products. 

He also recognized the project team of architect Pete Bogle with The Bogle Firm, and contractor Chad Vriesema with Central Piedmont Builders.

“It takes a community to make this happen,” said Powers, “and without everybody that’s been here and been involved, this would not be happening.”

Also on the program were Anita Allen, who gave the prayer of dedication, Patrick Jones, Chris’ brother-in-law, who sang the “Lord’s Prayer,” and Matt Marsh, chairman of the board for RHM. He took the opportunity to recognize board members and staff and shared a story of how Chris and he met while Chris was working out at Marsh’s gym and what a super nice guy he was. 

It was then time for the opening up of the storage building, an honor Marsh gave to Haven. He invited her, along with other family members and additional RHM board members and staff.

Handing her the remote, he instructed her to press the button and the door opened amid cheers and clapping. The event concluded with an invitation to come and tour inside the building and enjoy some refreshments.

When Petara’s and Chris’ moms were asked what seeing this large crowd gathered for the ceremony meant to them, Denise said, “it’s amazing that Petara and Chris live through Haven, and it’s just a blessing. They live on through all of this, and their memory is kept alive.”

Sherry said that “it’s even more confirmation about the impact Chris had on these lives in the community.”

She expressed her gratitude and said, “the labor of love has not stopped. It continues to reveal and the difference he made in lives. I’m just honored God chose me to be his mom.”