Bennett's legacy remembered by memorial tree planting

Oct. 5—DANVILLE — Speaker after speaker at the Sen. Scott Bennett Memorial Tree Planting talked about Bennett's love for Danville Area Community College, DACC's love for Bennett, and how much each meant to each other.

Scott's Uncle Sen. Tom Bennett said DACC was important to Scott. He said Scott loved being on campus, talking to students and learning more about DACC's history.

Scott quickly made many friends here, Tom Bennett said.

"And I can feel the love. It is tremendous and thank you," Tom said to the crowd gathered at the planting.

A memorial tree planting of a bur oak tree in Scott's honor occurred Wednesday at DACC in the lawn south of Prairie Hall.

Several of Bennett's friends and family members were in attendance, including Tom; Scott's wife, Stacy; and brother, Rob Bennett. Also speaking at the ceremony were Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.

Others in attendance included State Sen. Paul Faraci, State Rep. Mike Marron, Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr., other local representative and DACC board members, staff and students, including DACC All Star Jaguar Student Ambassadors who passed out a small leaf-shaped seeded paper to plant in memory of Bennett.

DACC President Stephen Nacco said Prairie Hall, with the Literacy Center, was an important place to Sen. Scott Bennett.

"He was really committed to our students first," Nacco said of Scott, who was involved with many student and other community programs.

Nacco said they knew that students wanted to do something to recognize everything that Bennett meant to DACC all these years, and they worked with Faraci and legislative assistant Betty Seidel, who was an assistant to Scott Bennett and now to Faraci, to have this memorial tree planting.

Rob Bennett, who works at the University of Illinois and is on the board of trustees at The Urbana Free Library, told a story about a text message conversation he had with Scott less than two months after Scott's sudden and unexpected death in December 2022 from a brain tumor.

He said Scott knew Rob was interested in learning the basics of welding. Out of the blue around this time last year, Scott texted Rob asking if he'd like to take a welding class with him sometime at DACC.

Rob said it sounded great, but they both live in Champaign-Urbana, and Rob thought maybe they could take a class closer to home. Rob also said he knew he and Scott shared an interest in getting good at woodworking, but he didn't know Scott was interested in welding.

Scott answered that he didn't know what he'd do with his welding skills, but he just knew a DACC welding instructor and he really liked him.

"Like me, Scott loved learning things for the heck of it as much as anything, but more significantly he made his belief in the importance (of) educational access a cornerstone of his own career as a public servant," Rob said.

"He truly knew the vital importance of community colleges like DACC in their communities," Rob said.

Their mother, raising two young children, went back to a community college in her 30s and transformed her career to be a teacher. A Bennett family scholarship also is in their mother Barbara's name at DACC.

Scott also appreciated and loved this area he grew up in and later served as a legislator, Rob continued.

Rob said this tree will probably not be the last tree planted in a public space in Scott's honor, most likely, but he can't think of any other place more fitting for the first publicly planted tree to celebrate Scott.

"May this tree, like Scott's legacy itself outlive him greatly," Rob said. "May it exist, drive and inspire for many, many more decades to come."

Tom said a tree is about change, and growth in all its forms which was important to Scott.

Tom, getting emotional, said DACC is a magical place where someone can change and touch lives every day, and Scott loved being a part of that.

Tom said the Bennett family is grateful for the tree planting.

Harmon said Scott Bennett was a wonderful friend, devoted father and husband, as well as a kind and caring public servant. Scott understood education could lift people up and change people's lives, Harmon added.

Gov. Pritzker said Scott's impact really was felt everywhere.

"It is a great honor, really, and pleasure to be here to remember our friend Sen. Scott Bennett, and truly his extraordinary impact at DACC and throughout our entire state," Pritzker said.

He said Scott was a statesman, and genuinely good and decent man who cared deeply about those he represented and the people of the entire state of Illinois.

"He radiated joy," Pritzker said, adding that Scott always lent a helping hand when needed.

Scott focused on increasing affordability and access to Illinois colleges, and believed anyone deserved the opportunity to a degree, Pritzker said.

He said everybody was made better by Scott's example.

Pritzker said being a senator forever is something he thinks is a title that should belong to Scott.

He said with the tree dedication, Scott's spirit will be looking over DACC students every time they walk around the campus.

"One day this tree, I'm told, can stand at 100 feet tall; like Scott Bennett's integrity and his big heart," Pritzker said. "May we all carry his legacy in our hearts, leaving the world better than we found it."

After the tree planting, Pritzker didn't take any questions from the media, but he did talk to and take pictures with ceremony attendees.

One of the attendees was Pastor Shanae Dowell, who has been involved locally with the Vermilion County Democratic Party.

She said the ceremony was very touching, especially with Scott's family in attendance.