The Peter R Marsh Foundation of Vancouver, Wash. has selected local henna artist, Sarah Walters of Kirkland to be a Silent Servant Award recipient. She was presented the award at the Bothell City Council Meeting on July 18.

The Marsh Foundation is based on the belief that people who voluntarily and privately serve others in-need are indeed the most valuable citizens of our communities. One initiative of the Peter R Marsh Foundation is to encourage selfless service to others by identifying people who serve, recognizing and awarding them for their service and encouraging them to continue in their important community role – because they inspire others to experience the fulfillment of living as a Silent Servant.

Sarah Walters is one such individual who serves others. She saw an opportunity to use her artwork to serve others and does so without any expectation or compensation. She owns her own business as a henna (temporary tattoo) artist.

For the past six years, she provides henna “crowns”, free of charge, to individuals who have lost their hair due to a medical issue, such as chemotherapy or alopecia. She does this about once a week and has never turned anyone down.

Her sister Bethany explains “This began in June of 2004, when our step-father Lee was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Over the next five months, he endured many treatments and it was very hard on our whole family. Feelings of helplessness, not knowing what was coming next – it’s a very difficult process to endure. He passed away in November 2004 – five months after diagnosis.

Sarah was then looking for ways she could “give back” or help others going through that difficult time. It sat in her mind for some time. After that, Sarah began to pursue henna art. A few years later, our mom had a friend who had lost her hair and was undergoing chemotherapy – and my mom asked Sarah if she could do a crown for her.

Sarah jumped on the idea. Finally something she could do to help others and use her art at the same time. She never takes payments for the crowns. She enjoys doing the crowns because it affords her the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people and she gets to help them feel special, pampered even, during a time in their life that tends to be very difficult. She typically does about one crown per week – sometimes more. I’d say it averages to about five per month.”

For more information on Sarah’s crowns, visit: http://www.sarahenna.com/crowns/