Kissimmee, FL – July 19, 2024 – Over adecade ago, U.S. Military Vietnam Veteran, Lazaro Mesa, discovered a powerful
way to cope with the stress and challenges resulting from his military service:
art. Using painting as a therapeutic outlet, Mesa has crafted hundreds of
paintings, many of which he has given to others who expressed interest in his
colorful designs. Earlier this year, Mesa made a new friend when he met fellow
Veteran Franklin Welch, who himself had recently learned of the benefits of Art
Therapy.

The two men quickly became friends and Mesa shared withWelch that his dream would be to sell his art and use some of that money to
help other Veterans. Little did he know that his dreams were headed towards
reality.

Life is About Connections

Welch, also a Vietnam Veteran, decided that he needed tohelp his new friend fulfill his dream. Welch reached out to a long-time
connection in Colorado, a friend of his by the name of Chris Morrissey.
Morrissey owns a creative agency and is known to go above and beyond for
Veterans, so the two discussed the effort and agreed that this project would be
a great way to show their support.

iHeartVetArt.com was born

The concept was simple really. Develop a ecommerce platformwhere veteran artists can offer their artwork for sale to the general public.
To date, these Veterans have had to physically attend various art shows, which
requires a lot of time and energy, not to mention money to drive all over the
state of Florida. The online solution made sense because it not only allows
them access to customers across the country, but Morrissey also offers them the
ability to sell their designs on products that the artists never dreamed
possible. Everything from Framed Prints to Pillows, Blankets and even Shower
Curtains. The beauty of it all is that the veteran creates their art and
Morrissey and his team open the doors of possibilities. In addition, the team
was pursuing corporate sponsorship to help grow the support for the effort and its
veteran artists.

An Unexpected Turn of Events

Unfortunately, just weeks after the soft launch of the site, Mesa endedup in the hospital and the prognosis isn’t good. We don’t want to share private
information, but we have been told that it is unlikely he will make it much
longer. Over the last few days, the goal was to take his designs and offer them
for sale and then reach out to our own network of friends and family to ask for
their support in buying his art. Little did we know, this was far bigger than
we realized.

Beyond Expectations

As the medical news developed, Welch and Morrissey agreed to movequickly on the plan. After all, how long could it possibly take to sell a few
pieces of art? Welch moved into action, talking with the family to get their
approval and then in a matter of hours, showing up at the home to pick them up.
Let’s just say it was a good thing Welch drives a truck. There weren’t a dozen
paintings, or even a few dozen. There were hundreds, in various shapes and
sizes.

Welch helped the family pack and carry all the paintings to his truckand within a few hours, he was headed back home where he would begin taking an
inventory, photographing each one and sending the details to Morrissey and his
team in Colorado. With Mesa’s health prognosis being what it was, time was of
the essence. It was critical that the team get every piece of art added to
their online store, so they are ready to sell. Morrissey has done a few online
programs in his day, and he knew the extent of the work that would be needed
and he allocated the people and the time to get it done quickly.

Time is of the Essence

Mesa’s condition is worsening by the day and in a matter of4 days, his newfound support team is ready to sell his art quickly in hopes
that they can present him with a big check. “We hope to make his day and
fulfill his dream before God calls him home” says Morrissey. “The only thing we
need now is the media to do their part and help us share this story quickly so
we can make good on our efforts to support Lazaro fulfill his dream.”

Note: All profits will be given to Lazaro Mesa and his wifeVivian who will decide the allocation of funds toward helping other veterans.

 

See Lazaro Mesa’s Artwork on www.iHeartVetArt.com/lazaro-mesa

Contact:

Chris Morrissey
Principal: Big Dog Branding
Phone: (970) 402-7724
Email: chris@bigdogbranding.com

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This press release highlights the positivity of what peoplecan accomplish when they all come together is support of others. For more
details, please reach out to Chris Morrissey at the contact info above.