This now giant rock snake started by a 7-year-old at a Toronto beach is melting hearts
Something as simple as a rock snake is getting plenty of smiles from the community after seven-year-old Lucas Walker started it last week.
Since the Beaches kid placed the first four painted rocks next to the Kew Beach boardwalk and set up a painted sign encouraging others to join in, it has grown to about 15m.
"He was just looking for an activity to do and wanted to get others involved," Walker's mom, Sema Sali, told blogTO. "We were heading to the beach one day, and were like, 'Hey, why don't we do something fun and creative' and he was like, 'Let's paint some rocks!'"
Starting near the plaque for the Leuty Lifestation and running parallel to the boardwalk, there are now hundreds of colourfully painted stones added by others in the community.
Although they haven't counted them, his mom says Walker figures there are 272 rocks.
"It's just been overwhelming how everyone is raving about it," says Sali. "More and more people are going, someone was like, 'I just made a playdate with my granddaughter and we travelled all the way from Etobicoke to add to your rock snake.'"
Walker now has an Instagram account with a bio that reads: 'I'm Lucas and I live in Toronto. Come join me, spread smiles for miles with my rock snake.'
Pictures of the latest additions are added to the account as they discover them on their daily walks down to the beach.
Although the response from the community has taken her by surprise, Sali says this is typical for her outgoing, social son.
"He's a very loving kid," she says. "He's always looking to chat and make connections with people, so it's just an extension of his personality to want to involve others in something that he was doing."
Walker, who's currently working on some more rock creations that he thinks will make people smile like ice cream and lollipops, says he hopes the snake continues to grow over the summer.
"Until it goes 100 miles," he says. "All across the earth."
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