The
University of Kansas 
An Official Employee
Publication From the Office of University Relations
Jayhawks to roost throughout Lawrence
College mascots are said to bring good luck. If that’s true, Lawrence is about to become very lucky. Larger-than-life versions of the KU Jayhawk are coming home to nest.
Five-foot-tall fiberglass Jayhawks, sponsored by area businesses or individuals and decorated by area artists, will be exhibited outdoors throughout the city from March through October 2003. The Jayhawks are intended for the public to enjoy and as a celebration of the Jayhawk and the city it calls home. The event will also serve as a reminder of the partnership between the Lawrence community and the university and will provide area nonprofit organizations with an opportunity to raise funds.
Jayhawks on Parade is presented by the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau together with its advisory board and the university.
“Many cities have held similar events. The difference is that the Jayhawk is so synonymous with Lawrence,” said Judy Billings, director of the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s a natural for us and it’s fun.”
Sponsors will designate nonprofit beneficiaries for each embellished bird and will work with the organizing committee to determine its location. At the end of the exhibit, they will be donated to the selected organizations. Each of the benefiting nonprofits can choose to sell the works of art as a fund-raiser or keep them for future use. Sponsors also can elect to take ownership of the birds at the event’s conclusion.
Area artists are invited to submit design proposals for decorating the fiberglass Jayhawks.
Jayhawks on Parade public informational meetings are scheduled for noon Oct. 15, and 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, at the Lawrence Visitor Information Center, 402 N. 2nd St.
“This is a great new tool for marketing Lawrence,” Billings said. “The possibilities are endless.”