A group of 20 people from the Wedgewood Forest and Greens community in Washington Township came together Aug. 11 for a socially distanced gathering to show off their sunflower creations.
Children from the community got to work on their artwork by painting canvases; some drew sunflowers with crayons and one even made sunflower masks.
“This year, with the pandemic and the kids not being able to do a lot of things, I thought it might be a good idea for kids to show their artwork,” said Ramona Carey, head of the Wedgewood Civic Association. “So I put it out there, and it got a lot of interest.
“The little guys did a great job.”
In Wedgewood Forest, resident Marc Walters decided to start a guerrilla garden by planting a sunflower field in the development.
“The guerrilla garden was something I saw on TV, where they took open spaces and planted flowers and there was a community garden all of a sudden,” Walters explained. “This is just giving back, and that was one way I felt like I could give back to my development and the community. The first year when they grew, it seemed to spark an interest in people, and I got requests to plant more.”
COVID-19 it has made it difficult for communities to come together socially, thus Carey’s idea for the sunflowers.
“When I put the email out to get a grasp of who would be interested, I was overwhelmed by the response,” she noted. “It was almost 100 degrees, and people just wanted to come out. They just wanted something.”
Once all artwork was finished, participants made their way to the sunflower garden Walters had created. The children posed for photos with their creations and indulged in a socially distant snack of water ice. Due to the overwhelming turnout, Carey looks forward to planning another event soon.
“Their artwork was beautiful and the kids were happy,” Walters said. “The community came together and that’s really the great thing about the day, that the community was able to be together. It made me happy to see that people were getting enjoyment out of it; it wasn’t about me.
“It was a hope to put a smile on peoples faces, especially during these trying times,” he added. “The children don’t get to see their classmates. It was a chance to divert their attention and make them feel good.”
The Wedgewood Civic Association plans different types of events for the community each year, including trolley rides for Christmas, house decorating contests and 4th of July parades. The association comprises around 200 community members, as well as 15 members who meet regularly. The funds gathered by the association are used to serve the community.
