Ranger Lee Anne Parsons has done some neat things in her life. She was born in 1951 in Bedford, Ind., growing up in Muncie. In her early years, she would do some baby-sitting. After marrying early, she spent time as a homemaker.
Parsons’ training and education later included going to beauty and flight schools. She took classes
to earn her pilot’s license, passing the technical part even thought she had no desire to actually fly an aircraft.
Her goal was to learn how to land in case someone ever needed to talk her down out of the sky. Her husband at the time flew a small airplane, so she wanted to prepare for a just-in-case situation.
Parsons also had a captain’s license, enabling her to pilot a 50-ton vessel 200 miles off-shore. It could be used to charter fishing and scuba trips while they were living in Florida.
Other successful endeavors included earning a real estate appraiser’s license and having a woman-owned minority business for nine years in the machine trade manufacturing plastic parts for the aerospace medical industry. She also has a patent at the U.S. Patent Office for a garden product that she manufactured out of recycled material when she owned a tool shop called West Coast Mold & Engineering.
Parsons has two grown children, two grandchildren and two great grandkids. She is retired and enjoys painting.
She also owns a nonprofit business called Artists for a Cure Inc., which was started in 2021.
The idea came about when a friend of hers had a young son who was diagnosed with cancer. Parsons wanted to help, but didn’t what to do.
Her cousin Robert Stokley, vice president of Artists for a Cure, previously painted a picture of a child who was sick as a knight in shinning armor. After she saw his painting, she realized she needed to paint her friend’s son.
The first painting was of a child as the Mandalorian from Star Wars. They started reaching out to the parents of sick kids, asking to paint them as anything the child would like to be in the future, be it a superhero, princess or firefighter.
Parsons looks for artists around the country who would like to paint these kids in costumes or outfits.
“The kids love the paintings. and our website shows them opening their pictures, laughing and throwing kisses. It just makes my day,” she said.
The 18-by-24-inch paintings are at no charge to the families. However, the artists do get compensated for their time and supplies.
The funding for Artists for a Cure comes from donations and by selling whatever they can at yard sales to raise money in order to keep the nonprofit going. Last year, a generous donation of $15,000 was received. To date, they have painted 60 works of art for children.
“We donate all of our time and take nothing for ourselves from the nonprofit,” Parsons said.
They look for support pages of sick children and reach out to the families. Location of the child is not important, as they’ve painted pictures of kids all over the country and even Canada. They have about eight artists.
“I love the nonprofit. It has really opened my eyes to the kids who are fighting these battles. They are just amazing and their families and support systems are also amazing,” Parsons said. “We just don’t realize this is going on because everyone is out living their lives while these kids may be in the hospital for months not getting any better.”
Parsons was featured along with the foundation as Artist of the Month in Vevay, Ind., on June 2. For details or to donate, visit artistsforacure.org. Donations are tax deductible.