By Diana Lyuber
With a little paint and a lot of heart, students helped raise money for cancer-stricken children and their families, one foot at a time.
The 200 Feet of Hope fundraiser, organized by the Developmental Arts Society and Art Education 591, ran Mon., Mar. 29-31 allowing students to donate their artistic talents and their cash to help the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
For every $5 contributed, people’s creative energies were unleashed onto one square foot of blank canvas, to create a colourful mural that will soon brighten the halls of the Calgary Children’s Hospital.
"One of our major goals as a club is to get involved in the community, in terms of art and art education," says DARTSS Vice-President Fundraising Rhona Segal.
The club is not new to helping the community, with everything from bake sales to the Mustard Seed fine arts program under their collective belt.
"We hope to raise $2,500, so far we’re doing very well." said Segal, as she gestured towards the busy painting stations. "We’re going to reach our goal."
Adding an artistic twist to this important cause had proven successful in drawing attention and support from the crowds lingering about MacEwan Student Centre.
"It’ll be neat to see my work go up somewhere," said Jen Smith, one of many who donated money to paint her very own square foot of hope.
Seventy- five per cent of all funds raised by the campaign will go directly to the "Kids Can Cope" program run by the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. This program supports terminally ill children and their families. The remaining 25 per cent of the proceeds will help establish a scholarship for the Arts Education program.