AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill; a first of its kind
Other cities have focused on just one animal, this is going to be a real
zoo
The Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District and the
Chestnut Hill Community Association are teaming up this year to bring
zoo animals to Chestnut Hill, and this promises to be an AbZOOlutely spectacular
series of events for children and adults of all ages.
Fiberglass model zoo animals – including lions and tigers and bears,
“oh my!” – will be painted by various local artists
and placed on displayed all along Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike.
The purpose of this event is to bring the community together in a fun
way and at the same time help to raise money for the many local charitable
organizations and initiatives in Chestnut Hill that need funding. Sponsorships
are available for anyone who is interested.
We invite everyone to get involved with the many scheduled events that
will take place all in the name of fun. AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill will
bring out the kid in all of us. The entire staff at the Chestnut Hill
Business Association can already feel the excitement parading towards
us.
The first animal that will be put on public display is a six-foot tall
giraffe made of fiberglass. When it was delivered from Tennessee, the
driver Patrick had to wait three days in a driving rain storm that put
the safety of the animal in jeopardy. While he waited at the truck stop,
he was getting a lot of strange looks as the animal was peaking out of
his cab!
The giraffe did make it safely to Chestnut Hill last month and is the
first of 30 animals planned to be dotting the Hill. Spotting these animals
will be half the fun. There has already been an unsanctioned citing. Cynthia
DeMaio of Lemons and Limes was on her way home one evening and called
into the Business Association office asking, “Did she just see a
Giraffe sticking out of the back of someone’s house on Abington,
just west of Germantown Avenue?” We had to fess up that she indeed
was not crazy, but that we have commissioned local artist, Kathleen Gallagher,
to paint the giraffe as part of the AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill.
Gallagher’s work (along with all the other animals that will be
purchased) will be marching into Magarity Ford’s maintenance shop
once they are painted. There they will be coated with a varnish to preserve
and protect the artists’ work. I can’t wait to see the look
on the mechanics’ faces when these animals arrive at the garage,
(I wonder if Joe Magarity has had the guts to tell them yet?).
The Home & Garden Festival, on May 7, will be the first public display
of the giraffe. That will be followed by an “adoption” event,
on June 4 at the Jenks Playground. Sponsorship of each of the animals
is available to any interested organization, merchant or individual.
Artists will be commissioned to paint each animal over the summer and
they will all be placed on display in time for the Black & White Gala
on Sept. 16.
From Sept. 16 throughout the fall, AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill will be
open to the public and events will be scheduled every weekend for two
months. The excitement will peak on Nov. 18 with the Auction Event at
the Chestnut Hill College that hopes to raise funds for the many worthy
causes and projects in Chestnut Hill.
Anyone interested in participating or sponsoring this project in any
way should call the Chestnut Hill Business Association office at 215-247-6696
and ask for Peggy Miller or Kate O’Neill. We hope these events will
bring out the kid in all of us and fill the Avenue with fun.
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