May 23, 2020 by Hilary Jenison (photos courtesy of Hersey Farm)
This week, Hersey Farm, owned by a tenth generation descendant of one of the original families to settle in Hingham, Massachusetts, launched the Hingham Kids At HeART Art Contest to benefit South Shore Hospital’s Generous Hearts Fund and the Hingham Food Pantry during this critical time of need.
Children of all ages in Hingham are invited to create and share artwork to show their gratitude to first responders and front-line workers, to display their emotions of staying home during this time, and to share their memories and experiences of the COVID pandemic.
“The idea came from listening to my grandchildren talking about the coronavirus pandemic. They wanted everyone to help first responders and people in need. With teachers in the family, I would hear ‘no child can be left behind,’” shared Peter Hersey, owner of Hersey Farm. “I called Gretchen [Hersey Amonte, a local relative and Hingham Middle School Teacher], to talk about the idea of inviting all the kids in Hingham to participate in an event in which kids could creatively express their feelings through art. Gretchen said, ‘let’s do it!’ At that moment, Hingham Kids At HeART was created, and Gretchen turned the idea into reality.”
Each piece of submitted artwork will be made into a lawn sign to be displayed starting at the Hersey farm and along Hersey St. The art will also be exhibited in other selected neighborhoods for people passing by to admire. The artwork will be judged by a local and international panel.
The judging panel for the contest includes Selectman - Joe Fisher, Hingham artist - Susan Kilmartin, former manager of South Street Gallery - Kate Sotolova, 6th Grade HMS student and artist – Max Bohane, Senior at HHS and artist – Emma Angel.
Judging will be by grade level (grades preK-2, 3-5, and 6-12). Prizes will be awarded by grade level as follows - $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place.
The winning artists in each grade level will be able to choose to donate their winnings to either South Shore Hospital’s Generous Hearts Fund or the Hingham Food Pantry.
How to Enter the Art Contest
Children interested in participating should create artwork on 8 ½ x 11-inch white piece of paper in LANDSCAPE format. Artwork should take up the entire piece of paper all the way to the edges, and any words should be at least 1 inch from the edge.
Children can upload their artwork submissions by visiting https://hinghamkidsatheart.com/submit-artwork and following the instructions. The deadline for submission is June 15th. There is only one entry per child.
If you’re using a phone to take a picture of the image, make sure the camera is set to the highest quality and allow for adequate lighting with no shadows, crop the image so it fills the screen with no background showing, and that the image is horizontal and straight. If you’re using an iPhone, make sure that there are no squares (iPhone 10) and that you select “actual image size.”
The Beneficiary Organizations
The Generous Hearts Fund helps South Shore Hospital employees in many ways. It helps them find housing. It also helps in times of illness. During harsh winters, the fund assists with heating bills. Annually, the Generous Hearts Fund provides $40,000 to $60,000 worth of aid to South Shore Hospital employees. It provides help to about 40 people a year. During this time, it is especially important to help our local healthcare workers. It is anticipated that as companies start to require payment of bills, there will be an uptick of applications.
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the Hingham Food Pantry has seen a 20% increase in the number of people it serves. People have experienced shortened working hours, or have lost their jobs because of the virus. Many volunteers have stepped up to help during this time, as the food pantry is helping senior citizens and others who are immunosuppressed. The supply chain has changed for Hingham Food Pantry just as it has for everyone else. They are thankful to all for the support that allows them to meet their increased expenses, challenges, and, most importantly, to serve all in our community who are in need.
You can donate to each of these organizations directly through the Hingham Kids At HeART website here: https://hinghamkidsatheart.com/donate.
Learn More
Hingham Kids At HeART is especially grateful for its generous sponsors which include The Hingham Police Association, The Hingham Firefighters Association, William C. Ramsey, E.L. Margetts and Sons, and Hersey Farm. If you are interested in sponsoring the contest, you can fill out the sponsorship form here.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit the Hingham Kids At HeART website, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for photos and updates.
Is Hershey Farms open to publ7c? If yes, what are the days and times? What is there to see or do there?