Porter County’s Chalk the Walk Brings Families Together for Day of Art and Fun

Artists of all skill levels joined together to express themselves and promote some great Porter County businesses and organizations at Chalk the Walk on June 10. For the fifth sunshine-filled year in a row, the Family & Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) sponsored the event to raise money for its many different programs that serve over 4,000 people in the area.

As a family-focused organization, the FYSB wanted to provide a family-friendly event that would bring families together for a day of fun. In addition to the artwork, the event offered face painting, story reading, caricatures, ice cream, and live music for all to enjoy.

“Making sure that families spend time together is important,” said the FYSB’s President and CEO Lisa Jordan. “Even though this is an event that raises some funds for our agency to do what we do for families, it’s really geared toward having some fun for families in Porter County so that they can bring the kids out and interact together in a positive way.”

A recent addition to the event to ensure this type of family bonding was Budding Artists. This was a way to bring young kids from different organizations out into the community to showcase their own artwork and learn the importance of giving back at a young age.

Valparaiso’s Girl Scout Troop 30365, one of the Budding Artists groups, took advantage of this opportunity for its girls to enjoy the beautiful day together while doing something fun, and they plan to return in the years to come.

Troop 30365’s Lorraine Spearman said, “We’re always looking for things for our girls to do while they’re out of school for the summer. It’s a wonderful morning, and the girls loved it.”

Messy hands were a common sight among chalk novices and experienced artists alike. Local artist Jodie Hammonds jumped at the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Chalk the Walk, and she returns every year to showcase her art.

“I like being creative, so this provides an outlet to be creative,” she said. “It has become one of my favorite days of the year. I always tell people that even if they don’t want to come hang out during the day, they should come later and walk around and look at all of the art, because it is so cool.”

Chalk the Walk is a family affair for Hammonds. While her husband helps to set up for the event, she and her talented daughters take to the sidewalk to represent the businesses for which they work.

Regarding her own employer A.F. Hauser Pharmaceutical Inc. of Valparaiso, Hammonds said, “I love that they’re a Valpo family. Valpo is pretty much just made up of family.”

The atmosphere of Chalk the Walk 2017 was rich with family and community togetherness. It successfully brought many families of Valparaiso and the surrounding Porter County area together to enjoy a successful day of artwork and fun in the sun, all in the name of a great cause.

For more information about the Family and Youth Services Bureau, visit https://www.fysb.org/.

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