Moreland’s Chalk the Walk Event Perseveres Despite Severe Weather

Thanks to Amore Coffee and Dakota County for their support.

A sudden thunderstorm threatened to interrupt the first kindness fundraiser event at Moreland Arts and Health Sciences Magnet School earlier this week. Thankfully organizers moved the event indoors, where students and families created kindness artwork through chalk art and other crafts despite the rain.

During the school day on Monday, May 9, students created chalk art on the sidewalks around Moreland. Families were invited back in the evening for Chalk the Walk, the first in a series of month-long Raise Craze events to spread kindness and raise funds for the school’s arts and health programs.

Severe weather threw the event a curveball, with pounding rain and quarter-size hail that washed away the students’ artwork before the event began. But rain didn’t dampen the students’ spirits as the event moved inside for chalk art and other crafts and activities.

Moreland Students Share Kindness

When asked about the event, some Moreland students had insights to offer:

“Me and my friends drew a kindness tree,” said fourth grader Monica Ruiz Lopez, describing what she drew before the rain washed it away. “We drew a tree with the leaves, each leaf had a kind word and we wrote ‘You Matter’ really big.”

Another student, first grader Xavier Guyette, helped draw the kindness tree. “I was gonna draw a star but then I was like ‘Yeah I don’t know how to draw that so I’m just going to draw a tree instead,’” he said.

Stained glass window chalk art effect with the words "Be Kind" and "Be Nice"

Second grader Alfonso Aldridge Jr. drew a poem about how he loves the world. He said he liked drawing it because “you get practice every time you write. And every time you work hard, you get better.” When asked about how he felt about kindness he added, “I like it when everyone’s nice and the whole world is nice. ‘Cause everything is awesome.”

Student drawing a colors and the word "kindness" in chalk.

“We drew a golden bar with the words ‘Golden Rule’ in it: Treat others how you want to be treated,” said fourth grade Kellen Kerry Mcintyre. He says his favorite acts of kindness are “to say thank you and normal stuff like that and pick something up or help somebody.”