GREEN BAY – Creative minds were put to work Tuesday evening as the "Ladies of Lambeau" painted 12 Packers-themed murals for their annual community project, which will showcase the artwork in local hospitals and youth community centers.
Led by Laurie Murphy, wife of Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, the "Ladies of Lambeau" is an inclusive group of women who are associated with the Green Bay Packers. The group includes all employees, board members, and their wives/partners, as well as wives/partners of players and coaches, who gather to put their efforts toward charity and giving back to the community.
"We've embraced a lot of different people over the years," Murphy said. "It's a very diverse group and to be able to get together in the middle of the season is just great."
The tables were set and the paintbrushes were ready to go in the Lambeau Field Atrium as members had the opportunity to paint a piece of a mural at their tables. Upon completion, each table received the chance to hold up the pieces together to see the complete mural design they painted.
Every mural was specifically designed with a different Green Bay Packers theme, making them each unique.
"I think it's going to mean a lot to the organizations that get them because everything Packers is beloved," Murphy said. "It's not just the 'G' we are showing, they're all clever. I wanted one to be about diversity and show how we're all together, and how we're all Packers fans."
"Ladies of Lambeau" partnered with "Foundation for Hospital Art," an organization whose mission is "to give comfort and hope to those who suffer in hospitals by providing artwork at no cost to hospitals." They currently have donated over 47,000 murals to hospitals, spanning 195 countries.
Since inception in 2011, the "Ladies of Lambeau" have targeted a different beneficiary for their community project every year. Last year, the group filled 2,500 backpacks to be given to Special Olympics programs and for those who needed them in local public schools.
In 2015, the group built an entire playground at Fireman's Park in Green Bay. The "Ladies of Lambeau" have also paired up with "Stop Hunger Now" in recent years and have packaged over 100,000 meals over time to be distributed to children throughout the world.
"I look forward to this day every year," Murphy said. "This is such a good group of women. Every single woman here is doing something for the Packers. They're all hard workers. They get in here, they work, and have fun."
"Ladies of Lambeau" gathered for 7th annual community event in the Lambeau Field Atrium to paint murals for area hospitals and youth community centers. Photos by Samantha Strejeck and Victoria McBryde, packers.com
As each year goes by, the dedication and relationships within the group have grown.
"These ladies are extremely committed," said Diana Ball, wife of vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball. "A lot of these ladies either work here, or their spouses work here, but they don't have a lot of interaction with everyone. So the great thing about this is they're sitting at a table with someone they never knew and they just get to learn about them and have a new friend. It's really fun."
The group hopes to view the murals after they are placed on display.
"These canvases are just going to brighten people's lives," Ball said.