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Mastodons on Parade Adoption Party

(Fort Wayne, Sept. 30, 2004) -- Mastodons on Parade, the first community art project in Fort Wayne, reaches a milestone Thursday, Oct. 7, when sponsors officially "adopt" their mastodons at an "Adoption Party" from 5-7 p.m. at the YWCA Villa on Wells Street. The project is the brainchild of Irene Walters, executive director of IPFW's Office of University Relations and Communications. "IPFW wanted to find a way to help celebrate our 40th anniversary and give back to the community, in a fun way, at the same time. That's when I thought of the community art projects that other cities have done; like the cows in Chicago a few years ago," said Walters. She added, "This is a win-win proposition for everyone involved. Businesses get the promotional impact of having a mastodon 'decorated' to reflect them; the artists doing the decorating get to use their creativity in a very public way; IPFW benefits by increased awareness in the community; and the community-at-large is the biggest winner, with the proceeds from an auction of the mastodons next fall benefiting the 40 agencies of the United Way of Allen County."

Tower Bank, the official sponsor of Mastodons on Parade, will unveil its mastodon at the adoption party. The rest of the mastodons will be unveiled next spring when they are placed in prominent areas around Fort Wayne.

For more information on sponsoring a mastodon or on the adoption party, call 260-481-6104.

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