Help Erect Sylvester's Memorial In the Elmwood Village!

Asman Ndayisabwa is organizing this fundraiser.

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Sylvester Bennett, a street person, was a man of few words and a staple to the Elmwood village; he interacted with everyone and always left an impact that resonated with all of our senses. Unfortunately, Mr. Bennett is no longer with us. He died in 2020. In loving memory of our beloved Elmwood villager Sly, we as a community must band together to berth a home for his memorial. Local artist and sculptor David Derner has sculpted a bust of our favorite Elmwood villager. We want to make a memorial that can be seen by those who walk in the village.

Fund-raising for this memorial will pay for Sylvester's bust to be placed at 1084 Elmwood Ave at eye level so that passersby can see him. Specifically, the funds will pay costs of:

Concrete footing 16” x 16” $1,000

Granite plinth about 4’ high 6,000

Bronze bust life-size 8,000

Costs of the campaign 2,000

Total to be raised $20,000

In July 2021 a petition urged the City of Buffalo to place this bust on City property and was denied. A sample of the comments shows why creating this memorial is important:

Connie H.

Erecting this sculpture in our neighborhood will not only honor the man we all knew, it will also serve as a beautiful reminder that everyone is deserving of respect.

Robert L.

Sylvester was an important custodian of our ability to practice being human - he'd smile and ask you for a buck - and the test really was: not the buck, but being able to greet him, to smile back. He always acknowledged the greeting or smile with an accepting nod.

Carolyn F.

I moved away over a decade ago and still remember Sly. Not only is this important to honor this individual who made such an impact on so many, it is an important statement on the importance of the lives of those who are so often unseen. I hope to see this project come to fruition as another one of the many things I am proud of my hometown for.

For more information – including who the ‘we’ are who are organizing the Memorial – please contact

Asman Ndayisabwa, David Derner, or Bob Ludwig