July 11, 2020 by Hilary Jenison (photos courtesy of Hingham Kids at HeART)
Hersey Farm, owned by a tenth generation descendant of one of the original families to settle in Hingham, Massachusetts, recently held the Hingham Kids At HeART Art Contest to benefit South Shore Hospital’s Generous Hearts Fund and the Hingham Food Pantry.
Children of all ages were invited to create and share artwork to show their gratitude to first responders and front-line workers to display their emotions and share their memories and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 150 children grades pre-K through 12 participated in the contest. The artwork was printed on lawn signs and beautifully displayed in the yards of 23 houses along Hersey Street.
Prizes were awarded in three age categories grades PreK-2, grades 3-5, and grades 6-12. Winning artists were given a small monetary prize for them to keep for themselves, and then they could choose if they’d like to make a donation in their name to either the Hingham Food Pantry or the South Shore Hospital Generous Hearts Fund. The judges of the art contest were Susan Kilmartin, Max Bohane, Emma Angel, Selectman Joe Fisher and Kate Sotolova.
Congratulations to all of the winners, including:
Grades PreK-2
1st place: Katherine Passeggio
2nd place: Natalia Khayat
3rd Place: Liam Mulkerrin
Honorable Mention: Nick LaFratta
Honorable Mention: Cameron Dalton
Grades 3-5
1st place: Samantha Jesson
2nd place: Megan Buckley
3rd place: Grace Moore
Honorable Mention: Evangeline Winter Smith
Honorable Mention: Celia Tower
Grades 6-12
1st place: Cassie Foley
2nd place: Nora Wendell
3rd place: Jacob Houston
Honorable Mention: Ella Zhu
Honorable Mention: Sophia Hersey
Sponsors of the Hingham Kids At HeART Art Contest were Hingham Historical Society, Hingham Fire Association, Hingham Police Association, Selectman William Ramsey, EL Margetts, Anonymous, and Hersey Farm. Kaley Johannes and Abby Fennelly were indispensable college assistants.
According to Peter Hersey owner of Hersey Farm, “Donations are still coming in but at this point thanks to our generous sponsors and donors we’ve raised approximately $8,000 for South Shore Hospital and the Hingham Food Pantry.”
If you’d like to donate, please visit https://hinghamkidsatheart.com/donate.
A full slideshow of all the winning artwork displayed along Hersey Street can be viewed here: