Cow Parade Auction
Jay Leno corrals the CowParade herd, comes to Austin for Superhero Kids auction
The CowParade Austin herd is moo-ving on up, and they'll have a pretty hefty guest star helping them. NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno is coming to Austin's CowParade auction to lend some star power to the event. The auction benefits the Dell Children's Medical Center Superhero Kids.
Those cool fiberglass art cows (78 in all) you see all over town were decorated by Central Texas artists and will be sold to the highest bidder on November 13th at the ACL Live Moody Theater inside the W Hotel.
CowParade began in Switzerland in 1998 and has visited over 70 cities around the world covering every continent. Europe has hosted over 30 parades in total. The cows in many cases have become major works of art and sought out by collectors. Even Oprah bought a couple in Chicago.
Big fiberglass artwork is not new to Austin. In 2006 the Austin Guitartown Project brought in $589,000 for charity. Philanthropist Milton Verret (the guy who also bought the famous Michael Jackson jacket) spent $100,000 alone on fiberglass guitars. He, along with the company he founded, U.S. Money Reserve, is the main sponsor of CowParade and the guy who talked Jay Leno into helping.
"It is exciting news for the Austin community," explained Verret, "but most of importantly, for the young patients of Dell Children's Hospital. Everyone has enjoyed the cows, now it is time to come to the auction and be part of our fundraising efforts to help the kids."
It will take a $25 donation in order to be invited to the CowParade auction. A $500 donation will result in VIP access. While organizers believe the cows will generally be sold for between $500 and $10,000, cows around the world have gone for as much as $75,000. That said, there is no minimum, so if your dream house involves a life-sized art cow in the front yard, or perhaps in front of your business, now is the time to live the dream and make a significant contribution to the quality of life of some Superhero Kids.
Check out the CowParade promotional video:
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To make a donation and get more information on the auction, you can call 512-225-5299 or watch for updates on the CowParade website.