TEANECK, N.J. — A fading message painted across a Teaneck parking lot is getting a second chance, and Councilman Michael Pagan is asking residents to help bring it back.

Pagan is seeking to raise $3,500 to restore the “Sí Se Puede!” mural at the Richard Rodda Community Center. The Spanish phrase means “Yes, we can” and was painted in 2021 to inspire young people to dream big, regardless of their background.

The 36-by-28-foot mural has faded over the past five years. Pagan hopes to repaint it with help from the community, including a planned painting day with food and music.

“When you include everyone, the job gets done right,” Pagan said, recalling how he worked with community stakeholders before the mural was first painted to avoid the controversy that surrounded an earlier Black Lives Matter mural.

More than 100 residents participated in the original painting, including then-Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.

Pagan became Teaneck’s first Latino mayor in 2023, three years after joining the Township Council. The milestone and the mural were recognized in a resolution adopted by the council on Oct. 6 honoring the township’s Hispanic residents, who make up 26 percent of the population.

As of Oct. 9, Pagan’s GoFundMe had raised about $400 toward the $3,500 goal. He hopes to raise the remaining money within weeks, though winter weather could push the restoration to spring.

For Pagan, the project is about more than fresh paint. He hopes the community will come together again to keep the mural’s message alive for another generation.