Strong Hands - Lessons in Commitment and Consistency

Hi, my name is Amanda "Larrow" Forte and I graduated from Masuk High School in 2002. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Coach Dave Strong in three different capacities; playing for him as a member of the girls basketball team from 1998 - 2002, coaching with him from 2006 - 2011, and working with him on the Masuk Athletic Hall of Fame committee from 2023 to the present. He has taught me and continues to teach me many life lessons - play tough but play fair, work hard to obtain your goals, be a team player, persevere through challenges, CONSISTENCY IS KEY! I cannot begin to thank him enough for all of his helpful insights.

Coach Strong was inducted into the Masuk Athletic Hall of Fame last year as a result of his MANY coaching accolades. I was honored to present the award to him and to witness the outpouring of love from the Masuk alumni that were present. One in particular, Michelle Cyr ('90), a nationally acclaimed emerging artist, was especially inspired by the ceremony and Coach Strong's impact on the Masuk community. As part of her "Larger than Life" series, she decided to create a hand portrait of Coach Strong’s hands using one of his life lessons, consistency.

We believe that this original oil painting should have a home in the "David Strong Gymnasium" of Masuk High School. The place where memories were made, blood, sweat and tears were shed, games were won! It is the place where Coach Strong shared his love and passion for the game.

The original painting is 18” x 26”, simply framed and comes with artist signature, artist fingerprint and Certificate of Authenticity. To see the full painting and Michelle's other amazing works, please follow the link below.

https://www.michellecyr.com/portfolio-c

We have started a gofundme page to raise the funds for this incredibly detailed artwork. This painting is not only an inspiration but also a sound investment that is sure to appreciate in value.

Our fundraising goal is $3900. Any additional proceeds will be put into the Masuk Athletic Hall of Fame "Panther Excellence" scholarship fund. The Masuk Athletic Hall of Fame is committed to giving back to its community and "paying it forward." Our goal is to inspire and support future generations in all their academic and athletic pursuits by means of two annual scholarships.

Any donation amount is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Any person making a contribution of $75 or more to our goal, will be entered into a drawing to win print #2 of this work. It is an limited addition of only 50 archival gicleé prints. It will be signed by the artist as well as Coach Strong and also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and unframed.

We hope that you will help us bring this work to it’s permanent home!

Amanda & Michelle

PS - THIS IS A SURPRISE FOR COACH STRONG! PLEASE KEEP IT A SECRET!!