A new season for fundraising includes “TurtleTrax 2008: Opening Doors-Changing Lives.” New artist canvases for this season’s campaign include eighteen - seven foot doors, seven - three foot turtles and sixty - eighteen inch round cobblestones. These works of art will be featured at the 2008 TurtleTrax Festival & Art Exhibit at Riverside Park on Saturday, February 23, and later auctioned at “An Evening with Judy Collins” concert and gala auction to be held on April 5 at Riverside Theatre. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Mental Health Association.

Returning artist, Chantai Snellgrove, is participating in the 2008 event.  In 2006, Ms. Snellgrove, with assistance from the members of MHA’s Our House Network Drop-in Center, designed “Recycling Rosie” using recycled products. “Rosie” now permanently resides at Sebastian Elementary School.  Ms. Snellgrove has created another design, again using recycled products and the assistance of the Our House Network members. “Let’s Play” is the theme of a game table, complete with recycled tiles that creates boards for Checkers, Backgammon and Mancala. The door is sponsored by The Hill Group.

“The members of Our House Network used recycled mosaic tiles supplied from the Keep Indian River Beautiful Reuse Center and traced and painted their hands on them,” explains Ms. Snellgove. “The tiles will be adhered to the 80x30 inch door along with dominos, playing cards and tic-tac-toe games. Sixteen hands in all…everyone had a hand in it!”

The door will be on display at the TurtleTrax Festival & Art Exhibit and then will be returned to Our House Network for use by the members.

For more information on TurtleTrax 2008:  Opening Doors...Changing Lives, contact The MHA office at 772-569-9788 or visit www.turtletrax.org.

Roy Anderson with Chantai Snellgrove	Craft Instructor helps with the painting of hands to go on the door at the Drop In Center with Judith Eden (wearing hat decorated as flag) Bill Warren (white hair) Robert Bell and  Elissa Davis