On Tuesday, August 18, 2015 sidewalks across the U.S. (as well as Canada, England, Ireland, Mexico and Japan) will be full of colorful, uplifting sentiments as people spend a little time chalking messages of inspiration, joy and love in an effort to make others smile. The 5th annual international Chalk the Walks event happens anywhere and everywhere, all throughout the day.
“Remember when you were a kid and you’d draw pictures and write happy thoughts with chalk in your driveway and down the sidewalks of your street? And the adults always smiled when they read the big, pastel-colored messages? This is just like that. Only we’re bigger now. And we don’t have to go in the house when the street lights go out. The idea is as simple as it was in childhood: write happy messages, have fun doing it, spread some joy while you’re at it.”
Chalk the Walks, a project of The Joy Team, is all about spreading joy, optimism and inspiration through the magical power of positive messages and sidewalk chalk. The international event began in the heart of Vancouver, Washington, in 2011; and will continue there on Main Street this year at Mini Mozart’s Preschool from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
A very special chalking is taking place in Hartford, Connecticut for a young girl named Aliana. She has CVID, Common Variable Immunodeficiency. She doesn’t produce the antibodies to keep her well or even fight off a common cold. Each month, she gets infusions of healthy human plasma called IVIG thru an IV at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. She’s turning 11 on August 18th and wanted to Chalk the Walks for her birthday this year at the hospital she, and other sick kids, spend so much time at. Donations of chalk have been pouring in to help her and the other kids who are able chalk positive messages at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
So far over 29,000 people have joined the Chalk the Walks 2015 Facebook Event (including me :-D ). For more information, visit Chalk the Walks online or on Facebook.
