How to Go:
- Look for the Love Locks heart near JCPenney at the Dayton Mall.
- Locks come in a variety of colors and can be purchased for $5 at Dayton Mall's Guest Services Center located near JCPenney.
- 100 percent of Love Lock sales benefit local Dayton area nonprofit organizations. The charity changes each month.
- This month's beneficiary is We Care Arts, the organization that helps people with disabilities learn independence and build self esteem through art. To learn more about the organization go to http://bit.ly/WeCareArtsWe Care Arts and Dayton Mall tenant Pinot's Palette will be joining together to hold a special event from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 30. Shoppers purchasing Love Locks during the event will be able to paint their padlock with the help of artists from both organizations.
If your non-profit organization would like to be considered for “Love Locks,” write to David Casper: Dave.Casper@wpglimcher.com
It all began last summer when the Dayton Mall’s Marketing Director David Casper crossed over the Ohio River on a pedestrian walkway and noticed lots of little padlocks affixed to the chainlink sides of the bridge’s safety rails.
A closer look revealed each was inscribed with a name, initials or messages of love. His wife told him she’d heard about the phenomenon known as “Love Locks” that got its start on European bridges and was spreading throughout the world. Casper began to wonder if the clever idea might be adapted to a mall setting and be used as a holiday fundraiser for a local charity, Hannah’s Treasure Chest.
When he learned that many cities had invited artists to create metal structure to display the little locks, Casper contacted Troy metal artist Dave Palmer of Trojan Wrought Iron Creations and asked if he’d be interested in the commission.
“After speaking to the folks at Hannah’s Treasure Chest and learning about their mission to help children in the Miami Valley,” said Casper, “Dave offered to donate his time and design skills.” The mall paid for the materials.
“My challenge was to create a big heart — 10 feet tall by 8 feet wide by 4 feet deep — wow!” said Palmer, who began by laying out the heart shape and later putting the pieces of mild steel together. At first, he said, the result wasn’t to his liking.
“But one evening the inspiration hit me like a ton of bricks, and I spent the next three or four weeks working on it, doing a lot bending of the pieces to make it look more whimsical.”
The project grows
The Big Heart holiday project — and Palmer’s huge sculpture which holds all the love — have turned out to be so successful that they are now a permanent fixture at the Dayton Mall. Locks sell for $5 each and since its inception, over $6,000 has been donated to local charities. The slogan? ”Dayton has a big heart, open yours.”
“To date, hundreds upon hundreds of caring Dayton Mall shoppers have purchased Love Locks to benefit a wide variety of wonderful causes, “ said a proud Casper, who is thrilled to watch the sculpture fill up. “Besides the more typical messages of love for sweethearts, spouses and family members, we have several that commemorate the dates marking the remission of diseases such as cancer, length of sobriety and the loss of loved ones.”
Some examples? “Kara is in remission 3-27-15;” “Mattie Cured 2014;” “Never let a lock stop you from entering;” “Be noble. You’re made of stars” and “Prayer, laughter, family, strength.”
Who benefits?
A different non-profit organization is selected as a beneficiary each month. Casper said suggestions have come from shoppers, mall employees and community volunteers. In May, proceeds from the padlock sales are going to We Care Arts, the organization that believes the healing power of creating and producing art transforms people with physical, emotional, intellectual and neurological challenges.
Kris Horlacher, who runs “Shoes 4 the Shoeless,” said her organization received $800 when it was selected as the February recipient of the fundraiser. She said that money was sorely needed. “Our referrals for children needing our help continue to challenge our ability to keep up, so we need and appreciate all the help we can get,” Horlacher said. “Eighty children were helped as a result of Love Locks.”
The heart-warming program is a finalist for an International Council of Shopping Centers Maxi Award, the highest marketing award in the shopping center industry. And it’s inspiring other malls as well: Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus has just launched the project and Casper said other malls in the WP Glimcher portfolio are looking to implement something similar.
More about the artist
Palmer, who is proud to have grown up with a dad who was a nationally-known welder, has been welding since high school. He became a full-time metal artist in 1999, creating pieces for garden shows and craft markets and later working for interior and landscape designers. His sculpture and furniture have been shown at Sindey’s Spring Fling Art Show, Greenville’s Bear’s Mill art show, the Town & Country art gallery, Tipp City’s Studio 14 and a number of Designer Show Houses hosted by the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association.
Palmer enjoys returning to the Dayton Mall to watch his heart — and the community’s heart— continue to grow. He said he feels honored to have created something that’s so meaningful.
“I think of this heart as a living thing,” he said. “It has a beautiful flow and has taken on a life of its own.”
About the Author
