Due to the tough nature of these tough times, individuals all over the world are brainstorming ideas that will bring happiness and joy to their communities. Hempfield senior Delaney O’Shea brought happiness to the Hempfield community by creating the first ever “Chalk Art for Our Neighbors in Need” competition. This friendly contest was created in order to bring the members of Northpointe, a Hempfield neighborhood, together outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. In order to participate, a donation of any amount was required to be made to a list of local charities which included the Westmoreland County Food Bank, Beverly’s Birthdays, Foster Love of Pittsburgh, and the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.

The competition began at noon on Sunday, May 3 and participants were given two hours to decorate their driveway. After judging concluded, neighbors were encouraged to walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the art and fresh air. Personally, as I was walking through our neighborhood I witnessed a sense of camaraderie as neighbors spoke and laughed together. Of course, all while practicing social distancing! I feel as if our Northpointe neighborhood has been lacking the sense of fellowship and communication, but this event surely restored it.

Sarah Robosky and I participated in this competition and were determined to tackle the task of creating a chalk design that fit our Disney Birthday theme. Our goal was to connect to the younger children in our neighborhood and the children from Beverly’s Birthdays. Robosky, a junior, stated, “I loved being able to create a Disney chalk masterpiece with one of my best friends. It created a challenge since I’ve never drawn some of the characters before, but it offered a fun new hobby. It’s amazing how some chalk on a driveway can brighten someone’s day.” The chalk lightened the moods of many as it remained on the driveways for several days and was even featured in the Tribune Review. Overall, the creations restored a sense of hope and community that has diminshed throughout the recent Coronavirus outbreak.

At the end of the competition, over $1,200 was raised to benefit our community during these difficult times. O’Shea stated, “The most rewarding aspect was the feeling I got once I calculated the total amount raised among all four charities. This is a time when people are struggling, but the donations collected will provide a sense of hope to many.” She plans on continuing this contest in other surrounding Hempfield neighborhoods to raise more money for charity, and of course, to spread more joy. Although O'Shea's senior year got cut short, along with the rest of the seniors around the globe, she went above and beyond to make the best out of a difficult situation and to spread hope and love to the Pittsburgh community.