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Photos from Heather Buggee
Making a big splash
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Volume 12, No. 38
Clockwise from above, Heather Buggee stands with her daughter in front of one of their ‘splashes’; a mural colors the long island state Veterans Home; splashes of Hope staff members pose.
Foundation paints bright picture for medical facilities on Long Island By Alex Petroski
The way someone handles the loss of a loved one can speak volumes about their perseverance and character. Heather Buggee has used her personal loss as inspiration to brighten the lives of others. Splashes of Hope, the nonprofit organization she established in 1996, provides murals for medical and social service facilities to create welcoming environments that facilitate healing. For her efforts to uplift her neighbors, Heather Buggee is a Times of Huntington & Northport Person of the Year. Buggee said in a phone interview that the loss of her friend Will Harvey in 1989 was what drove her to start painting scenes on the ceiling tiles of Blythedale Children’s Hospital
in Westchester County — where she also created her first mural. Harvey was an artist too, and
the projects she took up following his death served as therapy for Buggee.
“While staying with her friend, she realized how sterile and uninspiring the environment was and would talk about how they would brighten up the space and let artwork become a part of the healing process,” Phil Rugile, the Splashes of Hope board president and director of LaunchPad Huntington, said. According to Buggee, what started out as a few volunteer projects on the weekends with friends turned into a nonprofit organization with the mission of turning hospital environments from “clinical to colorful.” “After her friend died, she dedicated herself to creating artwork for hospitals, mostly children’s and then veterans as well, working with staff to understand the therapeutic nature of art in ERs and critical care SPLASHES OF HOPE continued on page A30