Mother-Daughter Duo Ready to Chalk the Walk

Jodie-and-Dewana-Hammonds-Chalk-the-WalkChalk the Walk, scheduled for Saturday, June 22 on the Courthouse Square in downtown Valparaiso, will be a family activity for Jodie and Dewana Hammonds.

When I first heard about the Chalk the Walk event, I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase my drawing skills,” said Valparaiso resident Jodie Hammonds, “So I initially signed up to be an artist that would be assigned to a sponsor. And then someone at work suggested that my employer had a program that could sponsor me. I applied for that, and now I will be doing a chalk drawing for my employer, A & A Manufacturing.”

Hammonds, who is a shipping team leader at Gortrac (a division of A & A Manufacturing) , has had an interest in drawing since middle school, and for the last year and a half has been drawing portraits for her family and friends. “I would encourage others who have an interest in art or drawing to register as an artist…it is not just for people who are professional artists.”

Next to sign up was her daughter Dewana, a sophomore at Valparaiso High School, who has been delighting family and friends with her drawing skills since the second grade. “I look forward to doing a drawing for the sponsor I get assigned to, and also doing this event with my Mom. And we are encouraging my cousin and others to sign up as artists too!

The Family & Youth Services Bureau is sponsoring Chalk the Walk, and notes that more than 70 spaces are filled at this time and anticipates more than 100 people will be drawing colorful chalk works of art on the sidewalks surrounding the Porter County Courthouse on Saturday, June 22.

The FYSB is accepting applications for artists who will be matched up with a sponsor that pays for a 3 foot x 3 foot space; there is no fee for the artist. Sponsorships for the event begin at $150.

For information about becoming a sponsor or an artist, contact Jackie Gray at 219-464-9585 or jgray@fysb.org. Registration forms can also be downloaded from the agency website www.fysb.org. Updates for the event can be found on the agency website and on the event’s Facebook page, Chalk the Walk Porter County.

The Family & Youth Services Bureau has been assisting Porter County families and youth for more than 40 years, since 1972. At present, 17 distinct programs and services are provided for over 3,000 clients throughout the county which give them the opportunity to create a new and responsible path in their lives.

Photo: Jodie Hammonds and her daughter Dewana proudly show artwork they have created. Jodie holds a portrait of her sister who passed away from cancer, and Dewana shows a drawing that won her a ribbon in a recent competition. Their shared interest in drawing led them to sign up for the Chalk the Walk event.