Some Seymour High School seniors and their families gathered on Labor Day morning to paint their parking lot spaces, a tradition that has gone on for eight years.

Having a unique place to park is a great way to express yourself, but the painting is more than decoration.

To participate, seniors fill out a form along with a parent’s signature to show a painting plan. Once the plan’s approved, students pay $40 to paint and purchase supplies. Painting these spots acts as a fundraiser for the school’s Dance Marathon, which raises money for Riley Children’s Hospital at Indiana University Health.

Katie Cottrill has been with Dance Marathon since she was a freshman, following in her brother Will’s footsteps, who was previously the president when he went to SHS.

This year, now a senior, Katie gets to join in, painting a sloth on her own spot, where she planned to paint the words, “Hanging in until graduation.”

Beside Cottrill’s parking spot is Ava Shuler, who wanted her spot to represent her love for theatre.

In the space, Shuler divided it up to look like a playbill, where she will represent many plans she has had a role in — “The Family Man,” “The Little Mermaid,” “SpongeBob,” “Footloose,” “Snow White” and “Pandemonium.”

“That’s what I want to go to school for,” Shuler said about theatre.

For Jocelyn Hazelip, she had the idea for painting a lamp with a Bible verse that reflects the visuals. She chose Psalm 119:105 which reads, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

This parking spot painting was an idea she has been sitting on for quite some time.

“I was prepared for it when I became a freshman,” Hazelip said.

Not everyone has stuck with the same idea for that long. Jillian Nichols also had a Bible verse in mind, on top of a floral background, but this was sparked by her baptism in November. Her chosen verse is Jerimiah 29:11 — “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Some students had matching parking spots, such as Kenny Hurley, who painted his spot blue, and Josylyn Prewitt, who painted hers pink. Hurley explained they would paint the words “Always with him” on hers and “Always with her” on his with an arrow pointing to the other spot.

Aubri Engle and Claire Sanders got their painting idea from Pinterest, like several students did, where their neighboring parking spots formed a butterfly.

“It’s simple, but still cute,” Engle said.

This year, there was a different twist to tradition. The students weren’t the only ones allowed to be creative. For the first time, teachers and staff were allowed to participate by painting their own spots in their parking lot.

Jill Prange, the librarian at SHS, said the idea was sparked by Lisa Ferguson, the assistant superintendent, who painted her spot at the administration building, referring to her last year at the school as her senior year.

From this, Prange brought up the idea to Kelly Reasoner, a math instructor that is part of Dance Marathon, and they decided that staff should get in on the fun.

Because Prange has been there the longest, she got to pick her spot first. Although she won’t have her spot painted until Sunday, she is going to commemorate it to her husband and former principal Greg Prange who died of cancer May 25, 2024.

The painting will include books, an owl, her name and an angel to represent her husband. Prange will have the assistance of former SHS student Karmen Johnson, who will bring the idea to life on the asphalt.