The organization Withlovefromharlan is hosting a community celebration on Aug. 17 to celebrate the group’s one year anniversary.

Organizer Leslie Bledsoe talked about some of the plans for the event.

“It’s our one year anniversary,” Bledsoe said. “We’re going to try to get everybody involved.”

Bledsoe said there are several activities planned, including a mural.

“We’re going to have a community mural,” she said. “It’s going to be a tree with children’s hand prints on it, because it’s the kids we hope we are giving hope to.”

Bledsoe stated the event will feature games, food and drinks.

According to the event’s Facebook page, “the community mural tree project will engage families in the creation in downtown arts. Families, groups and organizations will gather together to complete a mural tree on a portion of a large building in the heart of downtown Harlan. Art encourages hope for change and having children engaged in this project brings hope for the community.

“Children will create hand prints as leaves by tracing their hands with adult help, adults will aid children in the personalized hand prints to be transferred onto the wall trunk. Families only need to wear comfortable clothing and bring a willingness to be creative. Each person may choose a different color to represent how we are all different individuals, but we are all part of the same tree. Children will engage in making garden signs with messages of hope to be placed in the flower bed below the mural.”

The Cawood Ledford Boys and Girls Club and Harlan County 4H Club will be assisting with the event.

The event will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the lower parking lot at the Harlan Center.