Beattie fundraising effort a labor of love

For Beattie Elementary School, raising enough money to buy one of the “Nebraska by Heart” sculptures required a lot of hard work, creativity - and heart.

“So many students embraced the opportunity,” said Holly Group-Weber, the school’s art teacher and one of the driving forces behind the fundraising effort.

“Nebraska by Heart” is a public art project sponsored by the Lead Up and Sadie Dog Fund organizations. Artists created 6-foot fiberglass hearts that were displayed across Lincoln for several months, then sold at auction Oct. 5 at Haymarket Park.

Beattie was one of seven LPS schools to purchase a heart at the auction, along with North Star High School and Morley, Cavett, Roper, McPhee and Adams elementary schools. Beattie raised $5,000, enough for the winning bid on the heart titled “Heartland Values.”

Beattie had the heart installed next to the school’s playground on Thursday and held an unveiling ceremony to celebrate its arrival. Students, teachers and family members gathered in front of the heart, covered by a sheet, then counted down in unison before it was revealed.  

“This is something you can always be proud of,” said Beattie Principal Sean Bailey.

Beattie students led the way in fundraising. They created and sold art; worked lemonade stands; and played musical instruments outside their homes for donations.

Wendell, a second-grader, was one of the students who held an art sale, along with two of his classmates and their families. “I felt really good about helping,” he said. “We raised $214!”

Students and teachers positioned coin jars throughout the school, which raised $3,000. The Beattie PTO also established an online fundraising account, which brought in donations from retired Beattie teachers, former principals and parents of alumni. Lincoln resident Bob Fitzsimmons, who originally sponsored the heart's creation, has offered to pay for landscaping and lighting around the sculpture.

“People want a way to leave their mark on a community that means a lot to them,” Group-Weber said. “That’s what I love about art - community.”


Published: November 3, 2017, Updated: November 8, 2017

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