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Buffalo mayor recognizes teen who helped clean up Bailey Avenue after protests

Byron Brown says that when the 18-year-old graduates high school, the city has a job ready for him in the buildings department.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Even when things get rough in Western New York, the City of Good Neighbors comes through with kindness and generosity.

That's definitely the case for this young man who was honored by the city on Saturday.

Antonio Gwynn Jr. spent 10 hours earlier this month cleaning up trash along Bailey Avenue after a protest there the night before. He even got most of it done before a cleanup crew of neighbors got there to get to work.

On Saturday morning, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown recognized that hard work and says that when the 18-year-old graduates high school, the city has a job ready for him in the buildings department.

"I wanted to lift up his story because I wanted the community to understand that the majority, the vast majority, of young black people are like Antonio Gwynn Jr.," the mayor said Saturday. "They care about their community, they work hard, they want to make a difference in their community, and they want to make a difference out in the world."

Gwynn got an even bigger honor earlier this month. The community responded with a Mustang convertible, insurance for it, and a full scholarship to Medaille College.

"Without anyone asking him to do it, without anyone telling him to do it, (he) got out after 2 o'clock in the morning and spent over 10 hours cleaning up Bailey Avenue, in his neighborhood," Brown said.

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