A large crowd of well-wishers gathered in the Lions Field parking area across from entrance number two of the Market Days compound for the unveiling of Wimberley’s newest Boot. In his remarks to the crowd, Carl Rabenault, President of WimberleyArts. org, formerly WVACA, thanked the boot’s sponsors, the Lions Club, A Studio Z, owned by Russell and Amy Cartee-Cox, and an additional anonymous donor. He acknowledged the leadership of Hilda Carpenter and Lynn Jones who helped facilitate the project from its tenure under the Wimberley Arts and Cultural Alliance to the renamed WimberleyArts.org. He also acknowledged Lions Club President Doug McLean for his leadership and introduced the boot’s artist, Amy Cartee-Cox.
Adorned with the image of a lion, Cartee- Cox confessed to being obsessed with lions from an early age. She showed onlookers her very first drawing, that of a lion, that later was displayed on the family’s refrigerator by her mother. When designing the boot, Cartee-Cox intuitively knew that the design would include a lion as the central illustration, not only as a fitting representation of the Lions Club but as a personal beloved image.
“It was a labor of love,” said Cartee-Cox, who thanked her husband for the patience he displayed for the year the project occupied their dining room. She also expressed gratitude to her supporters who kept her spirits up during the process. She thanked artist Danny Jones for returning the boot from its date in Buda to apply its protective coating when he noticed a chip of paint missing from the design. After the repair, he drove the boot again to Buda for its final coat.
In 2024, the Lions Club gave back $110,000 in grants and scholarships to area non-profits and students from their Market Days revenues and other fundraising efforts.
As Cartee-Cox completed her remarks, she urged the crowd to join the Lions Club in order to become part of their outstanding service to the community.
