Kinsley’s ShopRite in Brodheadsville joined in celebrating our country’s semiquincentennial in a special way.

The store sponsored the artful transformation of a large fiberglass bell for the America250PA Bells Across PA statewide art series. To date, there are more than 100 of the bells sponsored by businesses, individuals and one for each of the state’s 67 counties.

Each bell is the same size as the Liberty Bell, “just without the crack,” Christopher Kinsley Sr., president of Kinsley’s ShopRite, said at the unveiling of his store’s bell on Thursday.

“We hope the bell serves as a lasting reminder of our historical 250th anniversary,” he said.

Kinsley said in an interview that he is proud that they were asked to participate in this program.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “The artist, Brenda, did a fantastic job. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

The bell was painted by Brenda Mackey, who is an art teacher at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School. Lauren McMann, the special events coordinator for Kinsley’s ShopRite, said Mackey was recommended to her by one of the store’s employees.

“She’s exactly what I wanted for this project,” McMann said. “She really brings the heart of the community full circle.”

Mackey said she grew up in the Poconos and left for Philadelphia to attend Temple University. It was while being in college that she realized the Poconos were more a part of her than she thought. After graduation, she said she got her dream job teaching back home.

It also was her fondness for this area that she tapped into when creating her design for the bell. Mackey said she remembers going to the original ShopRite as a child, and she and her brother would get samples of cheese at the deli and a cookie at the bakery.

“It was such a core childhood memory,” she said. That’s why when she was asked if she would paint the bell for ShopRite, she was honored to be a part of the project.

Painted with acrylics, the bell incorporates scenes from throughout the Poconos including the Sherman Theater, the West End Fair, the Tannersville Learning Center, Delaware Water Gap, the state flower mountain laurel, the new Kinsley’s ShopRite store and, of course, the store’s antique car.

Mackey said she doesn’t have a favorite scene on the bell; she loves them all. Her favorite part was the memories that she revisited as she was painting the bell.

In all, it took her 100 hours to paint.

The unveiling drew a large crowd inside the store in front of its iconic antique car. Mackey’s friends, family and co-workers were in attendance, along with members of the Pleasant Valley School Board and district administration; Monroe County Commissioner David Parker, who is a member of the county’s America250PA committee; and state Sen. Rosemary Brown and state Rep. Jack Rader.

“Thank you to the Kinsley family for hosting the bell,” Brown said. “What a better place to put the bell but in a grocery store where everybody goes by it all the time, and they’re reminded about what a wonderful country that we live in.”

“This project is all about celebrating our history and looking forward to the future,” Rader said in his speech. “Your team didn’t just sponsor this project; you stepped up as true community leaders to give us a landmark we can all be proud of. Thank you for always investing back into the neighborhood you serve. Thank you to our incredibly talented artist Brenda Mackey. Your vision and your hard work brought this bell to life.

“You turned a simple sculpture into a stunning piece of storytelling that will inspire everyone who goes past it.”