As we buckle down for winter, it’s time to find a new home for our giant rubber ducky, Gertrude. She had a good run as our summer mascot, but Gertie — who stands more than 5 feet tall and weighs about 80 pounds — has seen better days. Her back is dirty and there are chunks missing from her fiberglass exterior. But her inimitable smile remains, along with that glazed look in her eye.
So what do you think we should do with her? Sell her on eBay? Leave her out for the winter? Give her a fiery Viking river funeral like Beowulf? (Unfortunately, we can’t give her to any of the animals). Leave your ideas in the comments section, and if we use yours, we’ll give you four free zoo tickets.
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Donate the duck to The Children’s Museum
Would she be suitable to give to Children’s Hospital?
auction it off and give the money to the food bank
I say childrens hospital or childrens mesuem
If the zoo participates in any kind of parade (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.), I’d say incorporate her into it. :)
If you know someone with an indoor pool….you could get like 7 gallons of Mr. Bubble and pull off the best prank ever…
give her a hat and scarf, and keep her
I would raffle it off at the zoo and use the money for the zoo. $1-$5 a ticket, the winner would get the duck.
It would be great if the hospital or museum wanted her, but she is a bit raggedy these days. We’ll definitely keep that in mind, though.
Donate to The Children’s Museum! I like the suggestions for the Children’s Hospital, too. Maybe they could fix her up a bit. Love the hat/scarf idea!
Set up a pictoral zoo experience with Gertrude as the tour guide for Children’s Hospital. If the kids can’t go to the zoo, bring the zoo to the kids. A huge display that would have the “feel” of being there…where the kids can have an interactional experience. Gertrude would be the “expert” and introduce and share facts and behind the scenes insight to the kids. At the end of the “tour” the kids can take a souvenir with them to keep.
Hold some kind of contest for local schools – let the winning class re-paint and decorate her, and the duck could go to the school. Im sure students and the school would be excited and proud to have it.
Keep it and decorate it for the season! You could also get zoo visitors to sign it. That would be pretty cool.
I agree either donate it to the Children’s museum or maybe that park above the zoo. However, to give Gertrude a wonderful bon voyage I’d definately let people sign it or all the kids draw on it. I also love the scarf idea since my daughters just loved getting pics with her this year. Maybe before she goes have all the kids decorate the duck for the holidays. That would be awesome.
Clean her up and use her next year!
I vote for ebay listing – could be great way to raise money for the zoo. Just be sure to have a set price in the first place – then if the bids don’t meet it – give her a scarf and hat!
I would like to see the Steelers, Pirates, & Penguins sign Gertrude, then auction it off using the proceeds for the birds at the zoo.
I LOOOOOOVE Terry’s idea about getting Pittsburgh’s most famous to sign it, auctioning it off and using the money for the zoo birds.
Before you give her away/auction her off, etc. – run a contest for the Best/Funniest Photo with Gertrude at the Zoo, the winner would get a free 1-year Family membership to the Zoo. Still have time to run this contest and it would maybe bring more folks out to the Zoo this time of year. Then do what Terry said and get her signed by famous Pittsburgh folks and auction her off. :)
Donate her to the Annual Hope Floats Duck Race in Charlotte, NC. It benefits Kindermourn, a place for parents who are grieving the loss of a child. I know quite a few moms who have used their services :( I grew up in Pittsburgh, still travel to the zoo with my own kids, but now we live in Charlotte. If you can attach her to my mini-van I will even deliver it. Thousands of numbered little rubber ducks float down the raging white water at the US Whitewater Center to race for prizes. It’s a super wonderful charity. I posted a link to their photo’s on your facebook page.
I Wonder if Ducky Tours would consider mounting it on one of their boats. Possibly as a zoo advertisement?
I think she should go to the Children’s Museum. The kids would love it.
Contact Kindermourn in Charlotte NC, they have the Hope Floats Rubber Duck Race every year to support families that have lost children. http://www.kindermourn.org/derbyducksrace.html It would be awesome for them to have this for their annual race!
I say fixer up and keep her the kids really enjoy seeing her and it makes for a great idea for the holidays dress her as a turkey or pilgrim for thanksgiving and santa or an elf for christmas although i think giving her to childrens hospital or to the museum is a great idea i really think the kids that visit the zoo would really miss her so i say keep her and incorporate her into decorating for the holidays!!
My friend’s Sesame Street themed band: Ernie and the Berts use a rubber ducky as their mascot. Could a donation secure this duck for them?
I love Rhonda and Amy’s idea!! But I think you should add a little home town touch so that everyone knows it came from the best city in town!!
Donate her as mascot for the Schreiber Pediatric Center – Rubber Duckie Race in Lancaster PA.
Put it in the zoo playground. Kids will think it’s just ducky.
Dress her up as a Steeler Fan (which should cover most of the defects) and put her near the entrance, before the train, with a donation box and a sign that says “Give this Duck a Buck”. Then the money can go to the Zoo or split it with Children’s Hospital. People will love taking their picture with her, regardless if they donate or not. Donations would be a bonus.
I vote for rhonda!
Donate her to a local playground. or a nearby statepark.
Cowans Gap State Park in Fulton County, PA
Give her to me for the winter and I’ll bring her back in the summer!
Attach her to the back of one of the Gateway Clipper Fleet boats so that she can float down the rivers for all to see. You might even be able to paint some sort of advertisement on her for the zoo.
I absolutely loooove m price’s idea it would be a great thing for tha kids and may even serve for a bit of relief for the parEnts, and distracting from the fact that they’re in the hospital.
Terry has a great idea! Make sure to get Crosby!!!!!!
I think the duck should be put in the polar bear exhibit.
Great idea, let the ploar bear’s play with it.
Why don’t you contact Idlepark in Ligionier. Maybe they could use it in Storybook Forest.
i think you should put it in a pool for an attraction or keep her in an inclosed area for a trophy-ish thing for a momento
Gertie could travel to the local schools. This would promote Pgh. Zoo Awareness. Additionally, students could take pictures of activities she participated in at their school while she was there, and children could develop writing skills to write about these activities with Gertie, as well as other realted zoo topics. She could instantly become a regular news topic in the Pittsburgh area and help children with their PSSA Testing/writing skills.
You should donate her to the Art Institute and they could use it for a display or even use it as a prop for a project that could be a contest used for the zoo or students… I went to the art institute and we like to think out of the box!
Consider giving Gertie to the Docent Council of the zoo. She would appear annually in the Haunted House as an official mascot from the zoo. She would appear in costume every year.
How much would you sale her for?!? That’s exactly what I’m looking for!!!
I would treat it as one of those decorated porch geese that people have. Have a seamstress sew it some outfits for the different holiday seasons, use it as a front zoo (porch) welcome duck. It’s not a goose, but a duck will do too.
Wish you could have tried to donate “Gertie” to a good cause or something constructive as listed in the comments above….caught a glimpse of her and she’s been completely beheaded/destroyed! =(
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