Volunteer Wheeling “Heart Bombs” The Friendly City for Valentine’s Day
WHEELING, W.Va. – Feb. 1, 2023– Volunteer Wheeling and Wheeling Heritage are calling on the community to be a part of a “heart bombing” public art display in Downtown Wheeling. The goal of heart bombing is to bring attention to buildings in Wheeling that have the potential to be restored and put back into use.
The concept of heart bombing began as a grassroots campaign organized by the Buffalo Young Preservationists in 2012. The goal was to draw attention to Buffalo’s vacant buildings and showcase them as community assets rather than eyesores. Their idea sparked several other preservation-focused groups to host their own heart bombing events – including Wheeling! The Wheeling Young Preservationists hosted successful heart bombing displays in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 before Volunteer Wheeling resurged the movement in 2022.
This year, Volunteer Wheeling is organizing a heart bombing for the Blue Church– and invite anyone who is willing to help to join them. Volunteers will make hearts, signs and other decorations on Thursday, Feb. 9 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Wheeling Heritage office, 1400 Main Street. Materials and light refreshments will be provided, so volunteers just need to show up with their creativity.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, volunteers will meet at the Blue Church, 1206 Byron Street, at 11 a.m. where the group will be provided the hearts to decorate the building. The festive decorations will remain on display through the end of February.
“Heart bombing the Blue Church is a creative way to express how much this historic building means to our community,” said Ellen Gano, leader of Volunteer Wheeling. “This year, we chose to highlight this one building in hopes that a developer will see its potential and rehabilitate it for a new use.”
To learn more about how you can get involved in Volunteer Wheeling’s Heart Bombing project, visit wheelingheritage.org/volunteer/.
About Wheeling Heritage: Wheeling Heritage is a catalyst for the revitalization of Wheeling. Through historic preservation, community development, and the arts, we help to tell Wheeling’s story and shape its future. We seek to improve the quality of life in Wheeling by preserving and investing in our city, collaborating with others, and engaging the citizens of Wheeling in our work.
About Volunteer Wheeling:
Volunteer Wheeling, a group organized through Wheeling Heritage and the City of Wheeling, tackles small-scale beautification projects in Downtown Wheeling and surrounding neighborhoods. Volunteer Wheeling is an inclusive group open to anyone interested in lending a hand to better our community. To learn more about Volunteer Wheeling or to get involved, you can email us at volunteer@wheelingheritage.org.
