Alexandria's Butterfly Effect Mural Raises $10,000 For Nonprofits

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Butterfly Effect, a public art and philanthropy project introduced to Alexandria, raised $10,200 for nonprofits.

The butterfly wings mural was painted on the side of the Bloomers store at 924 King Street. Individuals were encouraged to take a photo with the mural and choose a charity from a list of nearly 250 local and national nonprofits to receive a $20 donation. The Butterfly Effect creator Tasha Wahl and an anonymous donor through ACT for Alexandria provided funding for the donations.

More than 400 people participated in the campaign, supporting 111 nonprofits in all. Two nonprofits were honored with an extra $1,200: Alexandria Police Foundation for the most posts on social media and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria for the most photo submissions.

The project was a partnership between Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Wahl, ACT for Alexandria, Asana Partners and Bloomers. The Butterfly Effect concept is modeled after the theory that a small flutter of wings can create a chain reaction that spurs major change. The mural was customized for Alexandria with the phrase "Be the Change You Want to See in the World"—also in Spanish and Arabic—as well as the hashtag #InclusiveALX.