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SALT LAKE CITY — The Gateway Mall's Main Street is closed to traffic and open to art Friday and Saturday for the ninth annual Chalk Art Festival. And there's a good cause behind all the creativity.
The colors are bright, the ideas creative; and who doesn't like taking over a street for chalk art?
Last year's winner has returned. "It's just going to be very vibrant; so it might be a gloomy character, but the vibrant colors might contradict that," chalk artist Diego "DSZ" said of his new project.
But it's a street full of fun for a good cause. The festival raises awareness and money for the Utah Foster Care Foundation. Roughly 2,800 children throughout the state need foster homes.
"There is a need to have children in foster care when their parents go through some hard times or do some things they shouldn't have," said Debora Linder, spokeswoman for the foundation. "Every time you hear about a meth house being busted, there are unusually children there. Those children go into foster care."
Heidi Naylor and her husband have opened their home to 12 children in need, and have adopted six foster kids.
"I think there's a lot of children out there, and people assume they have a lot of baggage with them, when what it really comes down to is they haven't been taught correct principles or they haven't been taught to do things certain ways," Naylor said.
Part of the message with this festival is that even if you don't think you can become a foster parent, there are plenty of ways to help. In tough economic times, donations to help foster families are always welcome, and so are volunteers.
More information about the Chalk Art Festival can be found at chalkartfestival.org; for more about the Utah Foster Care Foundation, CLICK HERE.
Email: cmikita@ksl.com
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