A homeless boy donated a handful of change for the city’s sculpture of Captain George Vancouver, project organizers say.
It’s a reminder that you don’t have to be a high-profile player to contribute to the community.
That principle is playing out again with a low-profile version of the 9-foot-tall bronze sculpture of the English explorer. In this case, low-profile means 13-inches tall, from the captain’s shoes to his hat.
It is one of a dozen mini-statues made by Battle Ground sculptor Jim Demetro when he shaped the larger-than-life Captain Vancouver in 1999. That statue stands across the street from City Hall.
If You Go
What: Salute to Freedom events benefitting CDM Caregiving Services.
Who: Marine Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, who escorted the body of Lance Cpl. Chance Phelps back home after the 19-year-old Marine was killed in Iraq in 2004. His essay became an HBO movie, “Taking Chance.”
When & Where:Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. reception at the Artillery Barracks, 600 Hatheway Road; tickets are $100.
Thursday: 11:30 a.m. lunch at WareHouse ’23, 100 Columbia St.; tickets are $60. (A combination ticket for both events is $130.)
Reservations: CDMCaregiving.org or 360-750-3825.
The miniatures were given to members of the statue committee. One has been donated to the annual fundraiser benefitting CDM Caregiving Services.
Westby Associates, which organizes CDM’s annual Symbol of Freedom events, is auctioning off the 13-inch statue. Phone-in bids are being accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday. Call 360-750-3825.
The statuette will be on display at CDM’s events on Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets are required.
As of Friday, the bidding was at $2,500. All bids must be in increments of $500. The “buy it now” price is $8,000. The money will go to CDM’s “Aging with Dignity” capital campaign.
Michael Wilson, a senior associate at Westby Associates, was a member of the Captain Vancouver statue committee a couple of decades ago. He recalled a hands-on aspect of that fundraising campaign.
A framework for Demetro’s sculpture was placed downtown and people could slap some clay on the framework in exchange for a donation.
A little boy, with a man who appeared to be homeless, approached Demetro with a contribution. He had a bag of coins, Wilson said, and gave some change to Demetro for a chunk of clay. It was maybe 20 cents.
But the youngster is on the list of donors for the Captain George Vancouver sculpture, even though the only identifying characteristic was his bagful of change. He’s listed as “bag boy.”
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