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Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance in Rockville Saturday as hundreds of people gathered to dedicate the Mattie J. T. Stepanek Park, bringing the boy's mother to tears.

"I'm here because I loved my guy Mattie," Winfrey told the crowd. "We had a special relationship. Lots of people have gone on and through the Oprah show, and I can honestly say I have never fostered the kind of relationship long-term and friendship than I did with Mattie Stepanek. And that happened because I could see he was a highly, highly evolved spiritual being and just being in his presence made me feel happy inside."

Matthew "Mattie" J.T. Stepanek , who died at 13 in 2004 of a rare form of muscular dystrophy, was an internationally renowned poet, author and goodwill ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He lived in Rockville's the King Farm neighborhood; his wheelchair-bound mother, Jeni Stepanek, still lives there.

Winfrey was not scheduled to be a part of the day's festivities. She had been invited but wanted her attendance to be a surprise for Jeni Stepanek. In e-mail exchanges, Winfrey told Stepanek that she was in Africa and could not make the ceremony,

"I was shocked and thrilled," Stepanek said after the ceremony. "It's a statement of their friendship and my son's legacy."

Not even city event organizers knew Winfrey was coming until her security guards showed up 20 minutes ahead of her and said she was on her way.

"She outfoxed us all," said Burt Hall, Rockville's director of recreation and parks.

Roughly 1,000 people attended the event over the course of the day, Hall estimated. Among state, county and city legislators, local residents and Mattie's famous friends, were some who knew Mattie as the friend they met through camp who would play practical jokes.

"One year he duct-taped everyone's door shut," Lauren Williams, 21, of Pasadena, said. "He had this never-ending roll of duct tape that never ran out."

"So many people remember him for being a good poet. I remember him for being such a good friend," Williams added.

Nationally renowned music artist Billy Gilman also made an appearance at the ceremony. The 20-year-old star is the national youth chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and in 2003 released an album called "Music Through Heartsongs," based on Mattie Stepanek's poetry.

"It's amazing," Gilman said of the park, which features a peace garden with a bronze statue of Mattie. "The words that come to mind are hope and peace for this world. The war's getting worse and worse and it's great to see a place that celebrates his legacy and continues his legacy through his message."

City Councilwoman Anne M. Robbins read a message sent from Rosalynn Carter, wife of former President Jimmy Carter, who was Mattie's role model and friend, and who co-authored "Just Peace: A Message of Hope," Mattie's final book.

"The dedication of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park is a fitting tribute to the young man whom we were proud to call our friend," Rosalynn Carter wrote. "His quest for peace and justice is an inspiration, and we are grateful to be among the many personally touched by his compassionate spirit."

The bronze statues of Mattie and his service dog Micah were unveiled Saturday. The statues, sculpted by renowned artist Jimilu Mason, depict Mattie sitting in his wheelchair smiling and with a book open in his lap as he reaches out to Micah, who is putting his paw on Mattie's chair, "as to say, ‘Can I get something for you?'" Mason said.

"I thought the sculpture did a great job capturing his physical essence, but an even better job capturing his spiritual essence," Winfrey said after the unveiling.

After the ceremony, children of all ages played at the park, whether it was at the playground, the new Bankshot Basketball courts or the all-day chess tournament. The New York-based teen band Creation performed throughout the day and played its latest song, "Stop Be Silent," based on a poem by Mattie.

For the grand finale, people gathered around the stage as Nile Rodgers and his band played the 1979 hit "We Are Family," which he produced and composed for Sister Sledge.

"It's incredible," Jeni Stepanek said of the ceremony. "It's beyond incredible. My hope is not that this be a memorial to my son, but a celebration of hope and peace."