Driveway artists create colorful chalk scenes for good cause in Hempfield

A group of young driveway chalk artists put their skills to good use Sunday afternoon by drawing colorful art on the driveways of their homes in a Hempfield neighborhood — all for a good cause.

The contestants representing about 20 families pledged a total of more than $1,000, said Delaney O’Shea, 17, a Hempfield Area High School senior. The participating families pledged a donation to one of four nonprofits and organizations: the Westmoreland County Food Bank in Delmont; Beverly’s Birthdays of North Huntingdon, which provides birthdays for needy children; Foster Love of Pittsburgh, a Wilkinsburg-based organization supporting children in foster care; and the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, which helps to protect women against domestic violence. A group of judges would decide which of the artwork was the best.

O’Shea said she came up with the idea as a way of conducting the contest. Her school friend, Gianna Richardson, helped with deciding which organization would benefit from the money raised in the contest.

Three young artists, students at Maxwell Elementary School and a Hempfield Area High School student, used chalk to draw a cityscape scene that could be Pittsburgh, showing the city coming alive again.

At a Sheffield Drive home, artists celebrated birthdays with theme “Every Child Deserves The” atop the drawing of balloons, a castle, a birthday part sign, above the phrase “Best of Birthdays.”