In memory of Jordan

The teenager was an inspiration during his three-year battle with cancer.
BOARDMAN -- A tree planting ceremony in memory of 14-year-old Jordan Aron, who died of cancer, will be held May 10 in Boardman Township Park.
A flowering pear tree will be planted at 10 a.m. near the baseball fields in a ceremony open to the public.
Park director Dan Slagle is coordinating the placement of the tree near the fields where Jordan played his favorite sport until he became too ill to participate.
"Because we're placing the tree near baseball fields, I need to be careful picking a site where the tree will be visible, yet safe. It's nice to be able to memorialize people with a tree," Slagle said, noting the beauty and longevity make a perfect remembrance.
Jordan, a Glenwood Middle School student, died April 11 of rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that is virtually unheard of in adults but fairly common among children. The disease attacks tendons, muscles and bone tissue, often with fast growing tumors.
While Jordan was engaged in a three-year fight for his life, the community rallied behind him and his family, holding fund-raisers to earn money for his medical bills.
Donations
The memorial tree is being donated by Angelo Petitti, owner of Petitti Garden Centers based in Oakwood Village, Ohio, with a garden center in Boardman. Petitti was among those who took an interest in Jordan's battle with cancer.
"He was amazed by this young boy and his spirit through this whole thing,'' said Pam Holtz, marketing director for Petitti Garden Centers.
Eric Beight, owner of O.T. Beight Monuments in Boardman, has donated a black granite stone to be placed by the tree. The inscription, appearing in white on the stone, will read, "In loving memory of a courageous and exceptional young man," along with the dates of Jordan's birth and death.