By A Treasure Coast essay by Paul Janensch
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wqcs/local-wqcs-956172.mp3
Fort Pierce, FL – Easter is coming. This year it falls on April 24. So this is a good time to talk about the connection between the Easter Seals campaign and the Treasure Coast. One of the six finalists in the 2011 Easter Seals national design competition is Mary Ann Hall of Vero Beach. To provide funds to help children and adults with disabilities, donors buy Easter Seals to stick on envelopes in addition to official postage. The Easter Lily was adopted by Easter Seals as its symbol to represent new life. Each year Easter Seals holds an art contest. The entry by Mary Ann Hall is a vivid pink and green watercolor of a lily called "Nature's Wonder." Hers and the five other winning designs were mailed to some 19 million people in the U.S. Mary Ann, 59, and her husband Dan Smalley are retired college professors. In 2003, they moved from Michigan to Vero Beach. She isn't the first person from Vero Beach to be a finalist in the Easter Seals annual design competition. Barbara Landry earned the same recognition in 2005 and 2009. Mary Ann and Barbara are two of the eight partners who own Gallery 14 on 14th Avenue in Vero Beach. Stop by some time and see their other eye-catching work. For 88.9 FM this is Paul Janensch.
Treasure Coast essayist Paul Janensch was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.