More than 140 Willis-Knighton employees, with the help from a few family members, gave up a Saturday to participate in the Paint Your Heart Out event in Shreveport. They were assigned houses in the Queensborough neighborhood by the Shreveport Department of Community Development, which implemented the program 27 years ago.

The homes belong to people who are age 62 or older or who are disabled and who applied to the city for painting support. The seven homes painted by WK employees were among 64 painted by volunteers on June 1.

Two WK teams were recognized for the Willie J.C. Critton Team Spirit Award, given to honor the late Critton, who was a member of the event steering committee since its inception, serving as cochairman for many years.

WK’s Respiratory Therapy team was awarded second place for their efforts; the Administrative Staff team was awarded third place.

Teams considered for the Critton Spirit Award each year not only paint houses, but do landscaping, minor exterior repairs and similar tasks. Willis-Knighton teams weeded and replanted flower beds, mowed one lawn, trimmed hedges and shrubs, trimmed a tree away from a roof, painted porches and steps, painted outdoor furniture, purchased potted plants to dress up a front porch and even made sure one homeowner, who likes to begin her day with a sweet treat, had enough brownies and donuts to freeze and enjoy for a month!

“Our 73-year-old homeowner likes her yard to look nice, so we tried to make it as nice as we could,” says Damarcus Davis, captain of the WK Respiratory Therapy team. “This was our first year to participate and it felt good.”

“Winning a trophy for spirit was the cherry on the cake,” says Eydie Comeaux, co-captain of the Administrative Staff team. “It’s true. You’ll never have a perfect day until you do something for someone who cannot repay you.”