Yuba Garden Middle School history teacher, Bob Smith had developed a drawing project with his eighth grade History Class, in Political Cartooning. This project was started prior to the tragic events of September 11th. The morning of September 11th, all Marysville School District Schools were given written permission by our district's superintendent to turn on televisions and let the children witnessed these historical events. These tragic events greatly affected Ricardo Mateus, and on September 12th he drew the drawing titled "Atrocity." This drawing depicts Uncle Sam weeping over the crumbling World Trade Center Towers. Bob Smith was impressed with the drawing and began to show it the staff at Yuba Gardens Middle School. School secretaries Debi Johnson and Jan Thornhill came up with the t-shirt idea. Debi arranged for the production of these t-shirt contacting Mary Johnson of Embroidery by Mary in Yuba City. Mary took Ricardo's design and made it into a Silkscreen. Yuba Gardens School provided T-shirts and Mary Johnson, her staff and family donated all ink and all the work put into production of these T-shirt

Joey Hendrix the library clerk at Yuba Gardens Middle School contacted the local new paper, The Appeal Democrat. They ran an article about Ricardo and his drawing and T-shirt sales started to sore. Over $5,000.00 from T-shirt sales was donated to the American Red Cross - New York Disaster Relief Fund and over $1,000.00 was for your local Yuba-Sutter Red Cross.

T-shirts were sent to President George W. Bush, California Governor Gray Davis, and New York Mayor Rudy Gulliani. Ricardo received a letter of recommendation from President Bush and another one from Governor Davis. Both of these letters were famed and present to Ricardo, with his family present at a School Board Meeting. A check was also presented to the American Red Cross at the time. T-shirts have been sold locally, nation wide and sent to Germany. T-shirts have been sent to Germany, where a group of exchange students wore them as they bike toured throughout Europe.

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An article about Ricardo Mateus