So thankful for his service, Aurora named the building after him

It's not hard to tell how much Fred Rodgers' commitment to helping young people has meant to Aurora.

Here's all you need to know: The city renamed the building that housed his office for the past 25 years in his honor.

Since becoming the city's director of youth services in 1984, the recently retired Rodgers estimates he spent quality time with about 25,000 children.

"Some of them are parents now and I've gotten to know their kids, too, but that makes a guy feel old," Rodgers said jokingly. "But seeing them make good choices and be productive citizens is what really makes it worth every second I spent."

As that father figure, he prides himself most on the times he helped kids turn their backs on local gangs or decline to take a hit of a joint despite the fact "everyone else was doing it."

"Basically, I work with them to make sure they can keep themselves in a positive environment," he said. "And I'll always be there for them to talk to them about their successes and their problems."

At the recent dedication of the Fred Rodgers Community Center, the line flowed out the door, with many on hand just to tell Rodgers thanks and show him they "made it" thanks to his guidance.

Despite the legendary tales of Fred Rodgers, the executive director of Aurora's Breaking Free counseling center, Mike Moran, doesn't think Rodgers has actually worked all that much.

"As best I can tell in the 10 years I have known Fred, he has not worked any of those 10 years. There's a saying that if you find a job that you love, you never work a day in your life," Moran said. "Every minute of every day that I have been in his presence, it has been clear to me he has loved with his heart everything he has done for the youth and for the City of Aurora."

As an "impressionable young man" who began working for Rodgers about 18 years ago, Ray Torres called Rodgers "a man of passion, a man of conviction and dedication."

"Fred has a great gift of being able to assemble a team of people, each with specific talents, and he leads them through a journey with one common goal in mind," Torres said. "That's the betterment of all mankind, young and old."

With a community so thankful for him, one might not be too surprised to learn what Rodgers is thankful for this year.

"I'm thankful for a community that tries to work together. Aurora is a wonderful town with great people. I'm thankful that we have people who are genuinely concerned about the community and are working hard to make it the best they can," he said. "Above all that, I'm thankful for my church and the guidance I get from time to time."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=339178">Fred Zobel, Wheaton<span class="date">[11/26/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=339177">Dave and Pam Lowe, Warrenville<span class="date">[11/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>