HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — One of this year’s Bearfootin’ Bears is near and dear to the hearts of the residents of Lake Lure: Lady Haven, painted by local artist Andrea Martin.

Martin painted Lake Lure’s Flowering Bridge and the Rainbow Bridge on the bear, and when residents saw it, they knew they had to have it., especially since the bridges were destroyed by Helene. They started a GoFundMe Page to raise funds to purchase the bear at the “Buy Now” price of $10,000, and when the bidding opened on Sept. 25, they snagged it.

“Lady Haven is coming home,” the Town of Lake Lure’s Facebook page posted.

The town said the bear will have a permanent home at the new Flowering Bridge after it was announced it will be rebuilt, thanks to $2.5 million in FEMA funds.

Not the original plan

Martin, who has painted eight Bearfootin’ Bears to date, had a plan when she secured one of the ceramic bears for the 2025 Bearfootin’ Art Walk, and that plan was to paint one of her mountain scenes.

But those plans changed drastically when she was injured in a car crash over the winter.

“I injured my shoulder, collarbone and tore my bicep last December. It was my right arm, so I couldn’t paint or work on murals for months,” she said in a social media post.

She was finally able to start painting again in the spring, but the Bearfootin’ Bear deadline was looming.

LAKE LURE’S FLOWERING BRIDGE TO BE DEMOLISHED AFTER HELENE DAMAGED IT ‘BEYOND REPAIR’

“I finally started painting this Lady Haven bear just two days before the March deadline to turn it in. My plan the whole time had been a mountain scene, but the Saturday I picked up my brush, I knew I needed to paint the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and the Rainbow Bridge,” she said in the post.

Over those two days, she suffered through the still constant pain and also the grief from those lost to Helene as she worked on Lady Haven, a bear sponsored by Meliora House of Design & Mast Builders.

“I was still in a lot of pain…my shoulder and bicep made it hard to lift my arm, so I literally held up my right elbow with my left hand to keep going. On top of that, I was grieving the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Painting became my outlet. In just two days, Lady Haven came to life. I was so inspired I barely took breaks,” she said.

Martin said she considered the Flowering Bridge as a place to escape.

“The Flowering Bridge was…a quick drive down the hill where I could breathe, reset and be surrounded by beauty. Losing it in the hurricane felt like losing a piece of my soul,” she said.

She said through Lady Haven, she was able to “pour love back into that place.”

‘WE’RE AMAZED’: LAKE LURE SEES SIGNIFICANT DEBRIS REMOVAL, BUT RECOVERY EFFORTS CONTINUE

A time for healing

Martin said she was overjoyed to see that the residents of Lake Lure had raised the money to purchase the bear. Just like all the other Bearfootin’ Bears, the money will go to a local nonprofit.

While Martin is continuing to heal from her injuries, she hopes this bear will also be instrumental in others healing.

“This week is heavy for many of us. Saturday, Sept. 27, marks one year since Hurricane Helene turned our lives upside down. Across Western North Carolina, there will be memorials to honor what we endured. But this moment is also about healing. The town I adore so deeply has embraced the art I made for them. Lady Haven will live at the new Lake Lure Flowering Bridge as a symbol of resilience and love.

Martin ended her post with these words:

“We will rebuild. We will be okay. With remembrance—and with love. Thank you, Lake Lure.”

The Bearfootin’ Bears virtual auction will continue through Oct. 25. Bids can be made online at the Bearfootin’ Bears auction site.