F I R ST R E S P O N D E R S
Heroes
Everyday
Local Business Celebrates First Responders in Mural Tomas Heard, Waycross Fire/Rescue Department Engineer/Driver
Corporal Jonathan Oliver, Ware County Sheriff’s Department STORY BY SUSAN PIERCE | PHOTOS BY CANDICE MCKINLEY
W
hen Gooey’s Pizza owner Jesse Thomas decided to open a new location in Waycross, he brought a special recipe for success - great pizza, a family-fun atmosphere, and a love for art. Gooey’s original location in Jesup has been voted “Wayne County’s Favorite” pizza for more than 10 years and is known for its colorful artwork both inside and outside the restaurant. Thomas knew he wanted to recreate the “feast
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for the senses” experience at his new location. Thomas recruited local Waycross artist Jorah Blaise Mitchell to create artwork inside the building and artist Candice McKinley to paint the exterior. McKinley painted the murals at Gooey’s Jesup location and has worked as Thomas’s public artist for more than five years. Two pieces of public art were commissioned for the exterior walls.
But the second concept never made it onto the wall. A local resident’s casual suggestion became the spark for the public mural now known as “Everyday Heroes.” Perry Blackburn, Ware County paramedic and EMS Coordinator, caught wind of the artworks Thomas was commissioning in Waycross and sent him a message suggesting an alternative idea for a mural. “What about a mural with local
