SAN YSIDRO, Calif. (KGTV) - The library at Willow Elementary School is officially be renamed the "Ramon Parra Library" on Friday, in honor a man who dedicated his life to the children of San Ysidro.
"Anything that needed to be done, he did it," remembers Emilio Noriega, Jr., who played baseball with Parra's son. "He didn't look for any help, he did it himself."
Parra is credited with founding the San Ysidro Little League. He also served on the local school board for 18 years. Friends say he served on countless other committees and community boards, all working to make San Ysidro a better place.
"He was the kind of person that did everything for everybody and didn't ask for nothing," says Jaime Mercado. "He was one of the most honest people you ever ran across."
Parra passed 30 years ago. The effort to honor him began in 2017. Mercado and a few other people from the Friends of San Ysidro group started a petition to rename the whole school after Parra. When that failed, they set their sights on the library.
A GoFundMe campaign raised $2,100 to pay for new lettering. The San Ysidro School Board chipped in another $2,000. In addition to the name on the outside of the library, a picture of Parra and an explanation of what he meant to the community will be on display inside.
"There are so many people in town who never heard of him," says Noriega. "Now they'll know."
The dedication ceremony is Friday, February 28th at 3:30 pm.
