A group of chi8ldren from Rady’s Children’s Hospital and their parents joined artist Eduardo Parra at Point Loma’s Liberty Station on Feb. 21 to paint “Shaya’s Dream,” a cow featured next month inside La Jolla’s CowParade. Parra co-designed the lifesize cow with 16-year-old Shaya Potter, who died in December after battling a rare condition most of her life. “It’s only been two months and I miss her horribly,” said Julie Potter, Shaya’s mother. “It helps that I have such a huge support network at Children’s Hospital … My daughter taught me how to take whatever’s handed to you. You can take it and bitch and moan, but I’ve chosen to grow instead of let this kill me.” Shaya and Parra submitted their CowParade design – recently named “Shaya’s Dream” in her honor – with about 350 artists last March, according to CowParade director Bill Trumpfheller. “Eduardo is an artist at Children’s Hospital,” Trumpfheller said. “Last March, we sent out a call to all artists to ask them to submit their ideas. We received over 300 applications.” Although the non-profit organization CowParade – which asks local artists to paint lifesize fiberglass cows to generate proceeds for charity – began herding cows ten years ago through more than 50 cities across the country. This year marks the group’s California debut, according to Michael Kinsman, CowParade spokesperson. CowParade organizers chose 40 designs from the pool of applicants, including “Shaya’s Dream,” which the group will feature inside La Jolla village and UTC Westfield Shopping Center beginning March 15. The original workshop for the CowParade was set up at Liberty Station before the decision to display the cows in La Jolla. “When we first sat down with Children’s Hospital, they wanted to have a cow so that some of the kids could do some art on one of the cows,” Trumpfheller said, adding that the organization CowParade selected two charities, Rady’s and the San Diego Zoo, to donate profits toward due to their longstanding relationship. “She was 16, and she and Eduardo worked on this project for quite a while,” said Julie Potter. “We didn’t find out about this project and the cow being accepted until she passed away.” Shaya passed away about two months ago after years of battling Guillain-Barre — a rare syndrome Shaya contracted from a chicken pox vaccine at age 7. The disorder left her nervous system paralyzed. “She was a budding artist,” said Julie Potter. “She intended on being here to surprise us. It is an amazing honor to put her last work on public display.” Parra etched an outline of the duo’s two-dimensional design onto the blank three-dimensional cow that included designs of suns, moons and flowers. The artist joined Shaya’s parents, and about 10 kids from Rady’s, in an effort to paint color onto the cow. “[The kids] were there to paint the cow,” said Julie Potter. “But the cow is Shaya’s and Eduardo’s cow. They designed it. I had been going through her laptop from school and she had some diary entries, and she wanted to be known for her art.” “Shaya’s Dream” and the other 39 lifesize cows, painted mostly by prominent local artists, will be auctioned for charity, including Rady’s Children’s Hospital and San Diego Zoo. “For CowParade, La Jolla, all proceeds will be divided between Children’s Hospital and the zoo,” Julie Potter said. “They truly care about the kids. I want to be able to expand that convalescent hospital.” “We’re going to have a total of 40 [cows] on display,” Trumpfheller said. “Initially we commissioned 12 artists and now there are 39.” Kinsman said he’s creating the herd’s scenario but plans to put about four to six cows at UTC and sprinkle the rest around La Jolla’s village. “We’re finalizing the draft, but they’re going to be concentrating them in the village,” Trumpfheller said. “Four at the mall and two at the traffic stop there at UTC.” According to Trumpfheller, CowParade creates a large tourist draw so the organization will create an online walking map. “What people tend to do at these types of shows is create a type of walking tour of them,” Trumpfheller said. After event organizers called artists asking for designs, the group reached out for sponsors, Trumpfheller said. CowParade planners initially envisioned herds throughout San Diego. But each cow needed sponsorship, which pays for the artist and associated fees. “The economy just didn’t cooperate,” Trumpfheller said. “There were two options: We could’ve pulled the whole show, or [we could] scale the herd down. We decided to move forward.” While the initial plans were for the cow display at Liberty Station and Downtown, Trumpfeller said officials decided to move the event to La Jolla in November. “We made the decision to move ahead at what one may call great economic peril to ourselves,” Trumpfeller said. “But [the local merchants are] excited about the event. A lot of our first conversations were about sponsorships.” Local businesses, corporations or people can sponsor one of the cows, which should be completed by mid-March. Kinsman said sponsors receive their name on a plaque throughout the event. “You’re getting your organization on a plaque for three months and making that cow available,” Trumpfheller said. After the event, CowParade holds an auction, donating proceeds to Rady’s and the San Diego Zoo. “When you buy the cow at the auction, you actually own that cow,” Trumpfheller said. “That money goes to charity. The artist and other costs associated with putting on the event … are paid from the sponsor fund.” According to Trumpfheller, famous people like Oprah Winfrey bought CowParade cows during previous charity auctions. “Historically, the cows average about $7,000 or $8,000 at auction, but some have gone as high as $50,000,” Trumpfheller said. “But I think the economy will be the big indicator for us as well.” For more information or to sponsor a CowParade cow, call (619) 296-0605 or visit www.cowparade.com.