East Brady pizza joint commissioning Mason Martin wall of support
Ever since Karns City Jr./Sr. High School football player Mason Martin was beset by injuries sustained during a game in September 2023, the slogan “Mason Strong” has been a common sight across the region.
As the now-18-year-old Martin goes through a long rehabilitation at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, local businesses, schools and organizations have poured out their hearts and their wallets in support of Mason and his family.
Ronald “Bucky” Johns, owner of Rocky’s Pizza on Kellys Way in East Brady, is taking his support for Mason a step further, with intentions to commission a mural dedicated to Mason.
The mural would go on one of the outside walls of his pizzeria.
“I just looked at the wall one day and said, ‘I want to do something nice for Mason,’” Johns said. “It’s just something that popped in my head. I want to do something nice for the kid.”
Johns has been a friend of the Martin family for decades. In addition to owning the pizza joint, Johns is also active in youth sports as a coach and referee.
“I've known them for a long time, and I know (Mason’s) mother just passed on,” Johns said. “It's been a crazy, crazy ride for those people, so I'm just trying to do something nice for them.”
The night of Mason’s injury, Johns was refereeing a football game at Keystone High School in Knox, Clarion County. It wasn’t until after the game ended Johns learned the news.
“I got a call immediately after the game to update me on what the situation was, and I was truly hurt,” Johns said. “You never want to see a kid hurt that bad. It's not a good thing when they cancel a game. It ain't very often, so you know something serious has happened.”
So far, Johns has made contact with four local artists who are interested in working with him to create the mural. They all will meet with Johns at the pizzeria on Sunday afternoon to hash out ideas as to what will go on the wall.
“I have several pictures in my head of what I'd like it to look like, but I'm going to meet with the artists and see what their portfolio is, and then I’ll make a decision from there on Sunday,” Johns said.
Whatever Johns and his artists choose to go with, the mural should be unmissable to those driving down Kellys Way.
“It'll take up the south wall. It’s a very large building,” Johns said. “It's a three-story high building, so we’ll have lots of room.”
