Rooted in love: almost completed legacy wall

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Roots of creativity are spreading throughout one wall inside the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado (RMHCSC). Thanks to the artistic and creative talents of Amy Spring, a beautiful creation is almost complete filled with aspen trees and animals peeking out beside them.

“We really wanted to create a space where donors could come alongside and support that mission,” Sam Milam, RMHCSC Development Director, said. “In 37 years, none of those 14,000 families has ever received a bill. So, we raise all of our money locally and we take care of families staying here.”

Thanks to a gift by the Colorado Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, RMHCSC announced Amy Spring would be the artist behind The Legacy Wall.

“We initially really wanted to do something with aspen trees,” Milam explained. “Globally, Aspen’s one of the largest organisms on the planet, and we have a saying that we’ll paint up on the wall here in a minute that says, ‘We are all connected, rooted in love’ and that’s true of all of our families.”

Over the past couple of weeks, Amy Spring has spent hundreds of hours working to bring this vision to life. However, Spring did not grow up painting or drawing, rather she did not know her talents would be unlocked.

“I didn’t know I could paint until my son was in fourth grade, and now he’s 40,” Spring said. “There was only seven people in our PTA, and nobody would try to paint murals for the kids. So, I tried, and everybody said, ‘wow’ and then I painted at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and then at the Air Force Academy prep school.”

For several volunteers, they took a moment out of their day to admire Spring’s masterpiece, along with her creativity. Beyond painting, Spring reflected on the day-to-day interactions between those who are receiving support in this house.

“I watch them day in and day out, work with the people, and it’s a beautiful thing,” Spring explained. “I can’t put it into words and then they’ll gravitate over here, the people that stay here and that have kids, they’ll come over and they’ll talk to me about what I’m doing. I think it gives them a little respite from what they’re facing, and they couldn’t come to a better place, honestly.”

Each layer and stroke of paint help bring this beautiful creation to life, Spring explained the artistic process to make this all possible.

“When I first saw it wasn’t even painted green yet, so when I finally came in to start, then it was the dark green,” Spring said. “Then we softened it with a glaze behind it, and it just made the atmosphere of it all and I just love it. I mean, I’m really proud of it and every little step we take, I’m more proud of it.”

The Legacy Wall should be completed according to Spring by the end of this week, where the southern Colorado community can gift a leaf to continue helping serve the mission of the charity.

Milam said, “Should someone want to choose to support The Legacy Wall, the entry point is as low as $2,500 a year, and then it goes up from there.”

For details on donations, Doug Zurek can be contacted at doug@rmhcsoutherncolorado.org or online .

This newly covered wall not only brings life and color to the space, but the reminder to families going through the unimaginable that they are being supported each step of the way.

“Colorado Aspens are beautiful and sometimes when you’re moving through them, a gentle breeze comes and the leaves clap,” Milam said. “They make a sound as if they’re cheering you on and that’s what we do for all of our families every day.”

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