HILLSBORO, Ore — As the leaves begin to change and fall from the trees, colors are going up in downtown Hillsboro.
“Our goal is to let our community know that we're a diverse community, and all are welcome here,” said Kipperlyn Sinclair.
Sinclair is one of the people instrumental in bringing back Hillsboro’s wishing tree for a second straight year.
“My wish is that people see the beauty of what communities bring to our everyday life,” she said.
October is Hillsboro Arts Month. A tall weeping beech tree at the intersection of 2nd and Main is already decorated.
“You grab your tag. Write your wish…grab a string,” Sinclair said. “Feel free to hang it on the wishing tree where you feel like it belongs.”
“We also see people come through and just read the wishes and I think that that's really touching and that people can see that they're not the only one with those wishes and that we really are a community that comes together,” said Elisa Joy Payne with Hillsboro Downtown Partnership.
Area students created paper chains, linking together their own perspectives. Local artists will slowly add their touches to the tree as more people hang their wishes.
“My wish is… I have lots of them,” laughed Payne.
As the leaves change, so can we. Coming together to build a firmly-rooted community with hope for today and hope for months to come.
“This year I really hope that people walk by and they, they have that feeling that they shouldn't give up,” Payne said.