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Mural to brighten autism program

TD staff and Kathleen Hamel to create mural at Kelowna’s Starbright Children’s Development Centre.
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Some very special people are giving of their time and talents to a charity located in Kelowna.

On Sunday, June 25, the staff of TD Canada Trust, Dilworth Branch, and Kathleen Hamel, a local artist, will create a colorful children’s mural.

The artwork will transform the currently nondescript courtyard space used by the Starbright Children’s Development Centre’s Autism Program into a bright and cheerful spot. The images of a train, trees, animals, birds, stars, clouds, and flowers will not only brighten up the children’s walk to their program’s door – they will also serve as a teaching tool to stimulate language with the children.

After the base coating and background colors are dry, provided by Taurus Painting Kelowna, Kathleen will draw the outline of the mural’s content. Then, over the course of the day, the TD Canada Trust crew will ‘color’ it in – rather like a massive coloring book.

When the children return to the Autism Program on Monday, June 26, they will be treated to a rather magical place.

Starbright Children’s Development Centre serves the Central Okanagan. It has a range of early intervention programming for children with challenging needs. TD Canada Trust has been a major contributor to Starbright over the past two years, sponsoring therapeutic physiotherapy programs held in community settings, such as hydrotherapy and gymnastics, for Starbright’s preschool clients with mobility difficulties.

Kathleen Hamel has created many whimsical and beautiful murals that delight children and she is excited to work with the TD Canada Trust volunteers to create one more. According to Rhonda Nelson, Executive Director, “Starbright is consumed with gratitude to these amazing people.”

For more information on the Starbright Children’s Development Centre, go to starbrightokanagan.ca.