Comforting Hearts of Stone
Ballard, a former high school Spanish teacher and rock cutter, got his start with heart shaped rocks by collecting those which naturally looked like hearts on the beach.
According to his story called “Why Heart Rocks? My Story, My Mission”, he wrote, “One particularly rainy winter, our small community was shaken by several suicides. I began giving away my collection of natural heart rocks, and when it ran out, I created more. I gifted heart rocks to my students, some of them kept them and others passed them on to others. I also left them on public beaches and public places. Then my family was touched by suicide. I moved home to Utah and brought my heart rocks with me.. Now I make and distribute heart rocks full-time to spread suicide
awareness.”
Ballard has made tens of thousands of heart shaped rocks which he makes himself. He has also given away over 13,000 heart rocks which can fit into the palm of one’s hand or in a pocket.
“These heart rocks are reminders that: YOU matter. YOU are important. YOU are beautiful.” he writes.
Ballard will be in Uvalde through Wednesday before moving on. He can be reached at 801-888-7921 or email at tom@takeheart.rocks
Ballard also offers to speak about suicide prevention at schools and other organizations.
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