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Hope Lodge Recipient of Beautiful Sculpture for Its Great Room

On Saturday, November 29, the Musekamp Family Hope Lodge in Cincinnati was the recipient of a beautiful sculpture for its great room!

While members of the Clark Family & Foundation decorated the third floor Holiday "Kelly Tree", and young volunteers from Anna, Ohio, made cookies for the guests, Boy Scout Matt Downing of Troop 641, and his family installed an art sculpture on the wall of the Great Room. The sculpture is a metal tree with brightly colored clay leaves, and wood letters that say, "Giving HOPE A Home", the motto for all Hope Lodges around the country.

Matt is the son of Carol Downing, a former social worker with the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Cincinnati Jewish Hospital. Matt has volunteered at Hope Lodge in the past by weeding the garden, getting out the holiday decorations and then packing them away when the season is over. He decided he wanted to do something for the guests and caregivers of Hope Lodge as his Eagle Scout project. He discussed ideas with the director and after a year of planning and hard work we have a masterpiece! He even had an electrician install a spot light in the ceiling to highlight it. All the guests and visitors are surprised to find out that a high school student constructed it. They say it looks like the work of a professional artist.

Matt had several sponsors help cover the cost of his project, with the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Jewish Hospital being the primary donor. Thanks to Matt, his family, Troop 641, Jewish Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program, and all who helped Matt complete this for Hope Lodge!