by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
For the 12th consecutive year, members of the Downtown Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with family and friends, will gather at the north end of the Main Street Bridge the Saturday before the first Jacksonville Jaguars home preseason game.
Beginning at 8 a.m., they’ll put the paint rollers and stencils into action to apply the bright yellow paw prints along Bay Street all the way to the stadium.
Council member Bonnie Arnold said the annual event was inspired by the jaguar art panels on the empty building at Bay and Main streets.
The panels were painted in 1995 by local artist Jim Draper and some of his students from the University of North Florida.
Downtown Council was inspired to paint the paw prints to make the sidewalk and street look as if the big cat had climbed out of the building and prowled his way to the stadium.
The painting of the prints began as a council project with a few participants, but has grown each year. Arnold expects more than 150 volunteers of all ages to show up Saturday to contribute this year.
She said it’s a family friendly event.
The morning will begin with coffee, juice, bagels and doughnuts at paw-print headquarters in the parking lot at Bay and Newnan streets. After the last print is rolled onto the street at the stadium, the group will return to the lot for an after-party, including complimentary mimosas, Arnold said.
Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville is scheduled to make an appearance again this year. He paints a few paw prints and stays around for the celebration.
“A lot of people wonder how the yellow paw prints appear each year. If you come and help, you can drive by your print on the
way to a Jaguars game,” said Arnold.
The 2011 Downtown Council Painting of the Paw Prints is sponsored in part by Duval Paint, Geer Services, Jim Love State Farm Insurance, Martin Coffee and Bailey Publishing.
It’s scheduled to kick off at 8 a.m. Saturday. Free parking is available in the lot on Bay Street near the Chamber of Commerce Building. To RSVP, call 346-3300.
356-2466