Erk Russell Project Update
Hello everyone. Wanted to give everyone an update on the Eagles for Erk statue update. I apologize I have not provided an update in awhile but to be honest, I had to put it down during the summer. It was beginning to take over my life. Along with needing a break, my son was playing travelling all star baseball and decided to be a dad for the summer. Here is where we stand.
On the money front, we currently have a little over $40,000 in cash with $60,000 committed. There have been some donations during the summer but very few. But then again, I haven't been out pounding the pavement this summer either. However, we did receive a donation from Dr. Dale Lick this summer and I thought that was significant because he was the man that had the dream to start football and bring Erk Russell to statesboro. I will post his letter later.
On the statue design. I am 99.9% percent positive of who will be the sculptor. He is the sculptor that did the Vince Dooley statue in Athens. I interviewed dozens of sculptors across the country and I was impressed by his work and his proximity so I can get there to see the progress. I have the money needed for the down payment and I am pretty sure I am fixing to pull the trigger. I am so positive that I have provided him with dozens of pictures of Erk that were provided to me by Mrs. Rose Carter at Georgia Southern. Thank you Mrs. Rose. That way he can begin drawings and thoughts on design.
On the base front. I have had several conversations and one great meeting with a Georgia Southern alumni this summer about the granite base. His family owns a granite company in Elberton Ga. He told me that Georgia Southern meant so much to him that he desperately wants to be involved. He said that he believes his father, who owns the company, is going to donate the granite for the project. He said that would only leave labor to cut the granite block, polish it, and cut in the "We are Georgia Southern" quote. He went on to say that he is the operations manager of the company and he grew up in the business and that he will do much of the work himself to save money for the project. I will withold his name right now, just in case that opportunity falls through. This would be huge if it happens. In the beginning I estimated that it will take 80000 for the statue itself and we later found out that the granite base could run anywhere from 20000 to 50000. THis would be huge if it happens.
Now on the fundraising front. I had a conversation with Chris Blair at the EFAA golf tournament that kind of led my thought process here. He made the comment that we probably had gotten money from the Eagle faithful that lived this stuff 365 days a year. He went on to say that there is a large contingent of college football fans that only live it from sept 1 till Jan 1. I thought about that and I agreed so after this Manbearpig paddy party fundraiser, I decided not to do another fundraiser till sometime coinciding with the football season. We will do something during the season, we just have not decided what yet. Will let you know later.
There you have it sports fans. We will kick up again now that football is here and that is when the excitement is at it's zenith. The project is actually going pretty well. Originally, I thought I needed to raise the money quickly so that the statue could be built and out front of Paulson this year. However, as I learned that Coach Monken wanted the statue out in front of new football facility my thinking changed a little. Every sculptor that I talked to said that the statue would be put in last during construction so as not to get damaged so that is what we are aiming for. I do think that is cool that if you look on the the design of the new football facility, the plaza where the statue will stand is now called the Erk Russell Plaza.
On the money front, we currently have a little over $40,000 in cash with $60,000 committed. There have been some donations during the summer but very few. But then again, I haven't been out pounding the pavement this summer either. However, we did receive a donation from Dr. Dale Lick this summer and I thought that was significant because he was the man that had the dream to start football and bring Erk Russell to statesboro. I will post his letter later.
On the statue design. I am 99.9% percent positive of who will be the sculptor. He is the sculptor that did the Vince Dooley statue in Athens. I interviewed dozens of sculptors across the country and I was impressed by his work and his proximity so I can get there to see the progress. I have the money needed for the down payment and I am pretty sure I am fixing to pull the trigger. I am so positive that I have provided him with dozens of pictures of Erk that were provided to me by Mrs. Rose Carter at Georgia Southern. Thank you Mrs. Rose. That way he can begin drawings and thoughts on design.
On the base front. I have had several conversations and one great meeting with a Georgia Southern alumni this summer about the granite base. His family owns a granite company in Elberton Ga. He told me that Georgia Southern meant so much to him that he desperately wants to be involved. He said that he believes his father, who owns the company, is going to donate the granite for the project. He said that would only leave labor to cut the granite block, polish it, and cut in the "We are Georgia Southern" quote. He went on to say that he is the operations manager of the company and he grew up in the business and that he will do much of the work himself to save money for the project. I will withold his name right now, just in case that opportunity falls through. This would be huge if it happens. In the beginning I estimated that it will take 80000 for the statue itself and we later found out that the granite base could run anywhere from 20000 to 50000. THis would be huge if it happens.
Now on the fundraising front. I had a conversation with Chris Blair at the EFAA golf tournament that kind of led my thought process here. He made the comment that we probably had gotten money from the Eagle faithful that lived this stuff 365 days a year. He went on to say that there is a large contingent of college football fans that only live it from sept 1 till Jan 1. I thought about that and I agreed so after this Manbearpig paddy party fundraiser, I decided not to do another fundraiser till sometime coinciding with the football season. We will do something during the season, we just have not decided what yet. Will let you know later.
There you have it sports fans. We will kick up again now that football is here and that is when the excitement is at it's zenith. The project is actually going pretty well. Originally, I thought I needed to raise the money quickly so that the statue could be built and out front of Paulson this year. However, as I learned that Coach Monken wanted the statue out in front of new football facility my thinking changed a little. Every sculptor that I talked to said that the statue would be put in last during construction so as not to get damaged so that is what we are aiming for. I do think that is cool that if you look on the the design of the new football facility, the plaza where the statue will stand is now called the Erk Russell Plaza.
GATA
Sills
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