From Our Hearts thanks students for calendar art
Last Friday morning, From Our Heart vice president John Thurston, presented the 13 winners of the calendar art contest with a framed copy of their artwork.
Each year, From Our Hearts Inc. asks students from Pine Island Elementary School to contribute art for the organization’s annual calendar. This year 45 students participated. From those 45 entries, 13 were chosen for the calendar one cover picture and 12 monthly pictures.
“We are here today because a number of the 4th grade students at Pine Island Elementary have been very helpful in helping us create the From Our Hearts calendar that we use to raise money for breast cancer awareness here on Pine Island,” Thurston said. “The work done by the students was outstanding and we had a very hard time choosing just 13. One for each month and one for the front cover.”
The ceremony was broadcast throughout the school from the students’ studio. The entire school watched as Principal Rob Mazzoli introduced and welcomed John and Marcia Thurston and art and music teacher Gloria VanDuzer.
VanDuzer read the list of 13 winners.
Cover- Ava Cambio
January – Erik Daniels
February – Ava Williams
March – Charles Daniels
April – Brandon Bibbins
May – Pedro Tecum-Ajin
June – Leslie Cruz
July – Corin Scrudato
August – Donna Slaughter
September – Tully Agnew
October- Nancy Menjivar
November – Charli Su Grueser
December – December Delgado
“We have the honor of being able to work with the organization From Our Hearts,” VanDuzer said. “Mr. Thurston contacted us about students creating the pictures for this year’s calendar which will be sold to benefit the organization. Then the students artwork will be auctioned off later this year during October-Breast. The money is used right here on Pine Island and is used for cancer treatment, and I’m very honored and proud to have had our students create this artwork for this cause.”
“We are a unique organization in that all of the money raised stays here on Pine Island and Matlacha,” John Thurston said. “It been very successful, we’ve been in existence since 2004 and since then we’ve raised well over $500,000. We work in conjunction with an organization called Partners for Breast Cancer Care Inc. and Lee Memorial Health Care. Partners does the screening of the individuals to determine their eligibility and Lee Memorial HealthCare is the service where the actual mammograms are done along with any treatment. Our primary function is raising money, creating an awareness, and providing a public face for the cause.
“Now that the artwork has been completed, we are now ready to accept ads from local merchants,” Thurston continued. “We have ad space on every calendar page and this year we added two pages for coupons. The calendars are $10 and will be available at locations all over the island. We will announce those locations in the Eagle.”
The community is invited to attend the monthly meetings at the Fire House at Pine Island Center. Meetings are the third Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8 p.m. For more visit www.fromourheart.org.