Back in March, Ron Olsen of Grapevine, Texas, started painting the rocks he found along a walking trail in Parr Park.
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He enlisted the help of his three grown children to create more brightly-colored masterpieces, hoping to cheer up anyone who happened to walk by. With more people using the trail than ever before, it seemed like a great way to give back to his community during COVID-19.
“We wanted to make it a getaway for people and give parents something safe to do outdoors with their children,”Ron explained. “Anyone can paint a rock, and if you put hundreds and hundreds of them together, it really adds up to something amazing.â€
1. Before Ron knew it, strangers were adding to his idea, and the Parr Park Rock Art Trail was born.
2. Chris Penny and his daughters, Sophia and Julia, decided to paint some rocks for the trail too.
3. But Chris took the project a step further, inviting people from all over the country to add to the art trail!
4. To make things easier, Chris offered to pay for shipping costs so people could send their painted rocks from afar.
5. He started a Facebook page to get the word out and share the art.
6. The project took off beyond their wildest dreams!
7. Thousands of people sent painted rocks to Chris, and he ended up spending $10,000 of his own money on shipping.
8. The park is now home to more than 4,000 decorated rocks from all over the country.
9. Chris and Ron have teamed up to make the trail a destination that art lovers will drive miles to see.
10. They want the trail to be a place to escape reality for a while, especially during these stressful times.
11. Every rock tells its own unique story, and they’re beautiful to see!
“It’s crazy how it’s caught on and I’m delighted that it’s brought so much joy to people,”Chris said. “You name it and it’s out there. We even have a 2020 rock with zeros designed like toilet paper rolls.â€
Now that sounds like a perfect description of 2020! What a fantastic idea!
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