Who is Ralph?

The spirit of "Ralph" invites us all to live a full, joyful life, willing to try new things and take on life’s challenges. The inspiration for our logo figure and statues was a loveable boy who had a disability few people understood in the 1920s. Most people believed Ralph should be placed in an institution.

Unlike the rest of the world, Alvina Hammer believed Ralph deserved to live in a loving environment, a home setting with a school that would focus on his abilities and desires to express himself. Ralph and his family trusted Alvina and he soon became part of the first Hammer School. Ralph grew into adulthood, living a full and joyful life at Hammer until he passed away in 1995.

"Ralph" embodies the spirit of Hammer, a community of people who respect the individual’s abilities, whose collective spirit makes dreams come true and whose innovations continue to lead the way for people with disabilities.

"Ralph" is Hammer’s well-loved icon that invites us all to live a full, joyful life, willing to try new things and take on life’s challenges. Beginning in 2005, "Ralph" became suddenly more visible when the local community supported and embraced professionally-painted 5’ and 7’ versions of the statue. As the popularity of "Ralph" grew, Hammer began offering small paint-your-own tabletop versions at local art events. Soon children and parents were lining up to create their own Ralphs!

Paint-Your-Own "Ralphs" are a great activity for the whole family, especially children. You can use paint, stickers, glitter or even markers to decorate your statue. When you are done, take a picture of your creation and send it back to us along with a contact phone number and name. Your own "Ralph" might show up on our website!

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Price: $15.00