by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
July 10, the full litter of the Otis Smith Kids Foundation’s Big Cats will all be together for the first — and last — time.
For the past 10 months, 53 Big Cats have been seen all over Jacksonville. Whether it was Elvis on the corner of Forsyth and Laura streets or Close Encounters of the Cat Kind hanging on the side of TTV Architect’s building, each cat was the same, yet very different.
“They are all special, unique and personality driven,” said Bonnie Upright, executive director of the Otis Smith Kids Foundation.
Big Cats for Kids is a fundraiser for the Foundation. On July 10, the Big Cats will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Otis Smith Kids Foundation. The event, “Jammies and Jeans: The Cat’s Pajama Party,” begins at 6 p.m. at the Morocco Shrine Temple on St. Johns Bluff Road.
The first fundraiser of its kind was in 2004 and 43 manatees were scattered throughout Jacksonville. Upright said the Otis Smith Kids Foundation netted $220,000 from the sale of the manatees.
“We are looking to surpass that,” she said. “We have 10 more animals this time, so we hope so.”
At the auction for the manatees, Upright said the highest went for $6,000, the lowest $1,800 and on average they went for $3,480.
“We expected more businesses to adopt the manatees, but we were pleasantly surprised that a lot of individuals bought them,” she said.
Those who purchased the manatees have them in their backyard while one family built a bar around their’s. Upright said the manatees are as far south as Bradenton, Fla. and as far north as Atlantic Beach, N.C.
Of the 53 Big Cats, about 10 of them will stay with their sponsor after they have paid for them.
“This (the auction) is the one time that we have the bulk of the litter together,” she said. “It is neat to see them all together because they are the same form, but all so different.”
Along with the auction for the Big Cats, they will also have a silent auction. Guests will have the chance to win anything from golf packages to dinners to unique sports items.
A new portion of the event that was not done with the manatees are the miniature cats. They are identical in design to the Big Cats, but on a much smaller scale.
Upright said they will have about two dozen mini-cats that have either been created and signed or just signed by a local or nationally-known celebrity.
Country music star Martina McBride painted her cat and signed it, but Upright has not been told what the cat looks like yet. Other country music stars Kenny Chesney and the band Sugarland signed the mini-cats as well as comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Some local celebrities such as Wayne and Delores Weaver, members of the ROAR, Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, pro golfer Len Mattiace and Mayor John Peyton all have signed and/or decorated a cat.
“If you can’t have a Big Cat, this is an opportunity to have a cat from your favorite celebrity,” she said.
For those wondering how they have to transport the Big Cats home once they have been purchased, Upright said the cats are made out of fiber glass and weigh about 80 pounds. However, the Close Encounters of the Cat Kind is heavily-decorated and weighs much more. The cats can easily fit into trucks and mini-vans without the back seats.
Even though the Big Cats will all be out of sight by June 22, Upright said people will still remember the organization and the purpose behind the fundraiser.
“This is for such a great cause and it is a great awareness campaign for us as a small non-profit organization,” she said. “We have three staff members and we help a thousand kids.”
This particular fundraising campaign is done about every 18 months because of all of the background work that’s required. And at the July 10 auction, an announcement will be made about the next animal.
“We are going to do the project again,” said Upright. “We want to know what you want to see.”
She said at the auction, they will have decided how people can vote on the next animal, whether it be a Web vote, a phone- or write-in.
Tickets are still available, but don’t wait too long, because they had a waiting list for the manatee auction. Tickets for the event are $50 and can be purchased by calling 880-6847. Tickets include dinner from Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks coffee and dessert from Kilwin’s Chocolates.