VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Beach artist Troy Summerell’s murals are on walls all over Hampton Roads.
“It’s colorful, positive, happy artwork that just makes you happy in that moment,” he said.
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But the bright, hopeful artwork was born out of a dark time.
“My inspiration for doing this was my cousin Josh, who fought leukemia when we were young,” Summerell said.
Unfortunately, Josh lost the battle, and that had a lasting impact on Summerell.
“I just had this feeling I wanted to make a positive difference. I wasn’t sure how,” he said.
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So he started the nonprofit OnieTonie, named after his grandmother.
“Her name was Onie, but her nickname was Tonie,” Summerell explained. “A fun, rhyming, kid-friendly, family-friendly name that’s unique.”
He designed non-skid socks with his signature brightly colored artwork on them and donated them to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD).
“In case they are laying in a hospital or walking, those two smiley faces are shooting back at them. So that was important to us,” he said.
Summerell has also painted murals inside the hospital and you can see his designs on CHKD ambulances.
“Being able to put murals inside hospitals and affect the patients and their families directly is kind of what it’s all about,” he said.
OnieTonie’s newest initiative? Smiley Packs.
The newly formed OnieTonie Foundation has a defined mission: Inspire smiles in challenging times. It aims to do that through supporting pediatric patients in the hospital by giving them 'Smiley Packs' as well as providing vibrant patient in-home and hospital wall murals.
“Then you’ve got your little squishy fish, like a little stress ball,” Summerell said.
High school senior Chloe Hudson volunteers with OnieTonie, filling Smiley Packs that include colorful socks, coloring books, and other fun, colorful swag for young patients.
So far, they’ve delivered 200 Smiley Packs to CHKD.
While her dad also works with charity, she can’t think of any better way to spend her afternoons.
“It really doesn’t get much better than being able to share something like this with kids who are going through what they’re going through,” Hudson said.
Bringing brightness and color to young patients is what makes OnieTonie and its team positively Hampton Roads.
“It’s a full-circle moment; it’s a way to give back to these kids, honor my cousin, and do something positive and purposeful,” Summerell said.
If you'd like to know more about OnieTonie or would like to donate, click here.
