Published: May 30, 2013 12:00 AM
Hundreds of Hearts of Hope — palm-sized ceramic hearts, hand painted with personalized messages — painted in Newtown in recent weeks were packaged up and transported to Boston on Tuesday, May 15, on the one-month anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Four Newtown residents joined Hearts of Hope Founder Judy Pederson to hand out the 1,200 hearts in Copley Square. Staff at The Fairmont Crown Plaza Hotel loaned the group one of its luggage carriers so that they could wheel the boxes of packaged hearts across the street, where the hearts were handed out in less than two hours. Volunteers from New York Life Insurance, which had subsidized the costs for the majority of hearts that were painted in Newtown, joined the group on May 15.
Another 400 hearts painted in Newtown, which had not been finished by early last week, will be shipped to Watertown (Mass.) Police Department, said Ms Pederson.
Four Newtown residents drove to Boston on May 15 to be part of the distribution of Hearts of Hope, with project founder Judy Pederson. From left is Michael and Jeff Hadgraft, Ms Pederson, and Kathleen and Rachel Cole. The group handed out approximately 1,200 painted hearts to Boston residents and those visiting Copley Square last week. Painting and then sharing the Hearts of Hope allowed Newtown residents to pay forward a gesture that arrived in Newtown on the two-month anniversary of 12/14.
Boston City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina holds one of the Hearts of Hope that had been painted in Newtown, and then shipped to Boston following the marathon bombings on April 15. With Mr LaMattina, continuing left, are Rachel and Kathleen Cole, Jeff and Michael Hadgraft, and Judy Pederson.
Standing within the lobby of The Fairmont Crown Plaza Hotel, on the left are Newtown residents Michael Hadgraft and his father, Jeff. Fifth from right is Hearts of Hope Founder Judy Pederson; second from right and on the right are mother and daughter Kathleen and Rachel Cole, also from Newtown. Volunteers from New York Life Insurance, which had subsidized the costs for the majority of hearts that were painted in Newtown, joined the group on May 15.
