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Peoria group works to raise money for Pryor statue

PEORIA -- Organizers hoping to build a large-than-life bronze statue of comedian Richard Pryor say they’ve only collected about 10 percent of the money for the project to honor the Peoria native.

The Peoria Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/12fxqwV ) the group’s raised about $15,000 of the $150,000 they need. But they’re hoping a fundraiser next month will jump start the mostly stalled process that began in 2006.

The seven-and-a-half-foot tall statue is being created by Preston Jackson, who has been working on the project using oil-based clay.

There’s no final decision where the statue will go once it’s completed, but supporters hope it’ll be installed along Peoria’s riverfront.

Pryor was born in Peoria in 1940 and grew up in his grandmother’s brothel in the central Illinois community. He died in 2005.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com

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