Loveland Thompson Valley Rotary Club gives $2,500 to Alternatives to Violence

LOVELAND — The Loveland Thompson Valley Rotary Club raised $2,500 for Loveland-based nonprofit Alternatives to Violence through its new Garden Hearts program. The program, which collected funds through sales of heart-shaped statues, ran for its first year in 2021.

Alternatives to Violence benefits people affected by domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking. The Loveland Rotary Club presented the organization with the donation Feb. 24. 

The program is intended to continue with new heart statues benefitting different charities each year. The inaugural heart statue was designed by Thompson Valley High School graduate Haley Lawton.

“It’s a great program that not only helps a local cause but also promotes the community’s young artists,” said Kari Clark, executive director of Alternatives to Violence.

This year’s metal heart statue was sold from June 2021 to January 2022, with all profits going to Alternatives to Violence.