By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
Leila Murray poses with the Feeding South Florida truck that bears the picture she drew for a contest. The art was revealed May 31, 2023, at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale.
FORT LAUDERDALE | For one student, social conscience is as plain as the side of a truck. That’s where Leila Murray’s artwork ended up as a winner in an annual design contest by Feeding South Florida.
The organization, which serves the needy throughout southeast Florida, chose the picture by the St. Thomas Aquinas High School student for one of its tractor-trailer trucks. Leila and others at the school saw the result when the truck visited the school May 31, 2023.
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
Leila Murray thanks Feeding South Florida in front of students, staff and faculty at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where she's a student. The event was the unveiling of her artwork May 31, 2023, at the Fort Lauderdale school.
The poster shows children of various colors enjoying a table full of bread, fruit and vegetables, showered by hearts, stars and sun rays.
“It exemplifies our mission to serve with all of our talents,” said St. Thomas Aquinas principal Denise Aloma, who gave the keynote talk at the assembly in front of the school.
For the unveiling of Leila’s truck side poster, St. Thomas Aquinas brought out varsity cheerleaders, the school’s Raider Regiment band and an audience of 100 students, faculty and staff, along with leaders from Feeding South Florida.
The band members played some nostalgic funk, including Funky Town by Lipps, Inc. and Celebrate by Earth, Wind & Fire. They also played Bell, written in the 1980s by four Aquinas alumni.
Leila, 17, who just finished her junior year at Aquinas, was as surprised as she was elated.
“I'm excited,” she said. “I heard about it a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t know it was going to be such a big deal.”
An unexpected challenge came up when the Feeding South Florida truck arrived. The band had to maintain a drum roll as the driver moved back and forth, trying to maneuver into the school driveway. Finally, the driver managed the turn, and the audience applauded – not only for the trucker but for the drummers lasting nearly 10 minutes.
The art demonstrates Leila’s interest in product design and engineering. It also hints at the scope and goals of Feeding South Florida, which delivered 63 million pounds of food to the needy from Palm Beach to Monroe counties over the last year. More than 40 Aquinas students volunteer each year for the organization.
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
CEO Paco Velez of Feeding South Florida praises student Leila Murray's artwork for his organization, in an unveiling ceremony May 31, 2023, at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale.
“It’s a great interpretation of how to feed the community, and of the tradition of service,” CEO Paco Velez, of Feeding South Florida, said of Leila’s art.
The honor is just the latest in a string of achievements for Leila, principal Aloma noted. They’ve included Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and an Earth Day essay contest put on by the Sierra Club. Another painting, Waste in the Waves, was chosen for an online gallery by the National Art Honor Society.
“Our Leila is a very accomplished young lady,” Aloma said.
Retired Aquinas supervising principal Msgr. Vincent Kelly, who showed up to help congratulate Leila, added his own insights.
“This is the Church in action; these kids are sharing life,” Msgr. Kelly said in an interview. “Hopefully, as they go through life, they’ll be conscious of sharing with others.”
Photographer: JIM DAVIS | FC
Cheerleaders, staff and faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas High School pose in front of a picture on a truck from Feeding South Florida, created by junior student Leila Murray, and unveiled May 31, 2023, at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale.
