THUNDER BAY – ENTERTAINMENT – One very special painting has twice raised funds for enhanced patient care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) … and is en route to doing it again.
The inspiration behind this fundraising triple-header is artist Colleen Rose, an art teacher at Nipigon-Red Rock District High School. Colleen spent a number of days last summer painting in the lobby of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for money – art busking she called it, just like street entertainers. She collected donations from passersby, many of whom stopped to talk about the painting, a recreation of a photo Colleen took of the icy shore of Lake Superior, and admiring her artistry. She donated her art busking funds to the Exceptional Cancer Care campaign.
In honour of three people, friends and family who had battled breast cancer, Colleen then donated her finished painting to the Health Sciences Foundation to be auctioned off at the 2014 Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope. The winning $2,000 bid was made by Laura Fralick, a Certified Financial Planner with Investors Group, and again the funds were donated to the Exceptional Cancer Care campaign.
Colleen’s speech at the luncheon encouraged the painting’s new owner to pay it forward – to continue the painting’s fundraising charm. Laura is now renting the painting month-by-month to individuals and businesses in Thunder Bay in exchange for a donation to the Health Sciences Foundation. The amount of the donation is up to the ‘renter’ as well as to which area of care it is to support at TBRHSC.
“I was inspired by Colleen at the Luncheon of Hope because she opened up and spoke from the heart,” says Laura. “I believe in art and the power it has to connect people and I am happy to continue that journey through the travelling painting.”
The painting’s journey is being recorded on an attached passport.
Investors Group hosted the painting in January and Shout Media in February. This month it is at Lisa Sandham Interior Design. Where will it go next?
If you are interested in having the Travelling Painting make a stop at your home or business in support of world-class healthcare at TBRHSC, visit www.healthsciencesfoundation.ca/travellingpainting or contact Laura Fralick at (807) 345-6363.
