Aug. 31, 2004
Learn more about Herky on Parade Here they come…more Herkys – The Diamond Collection – to entertain and delight young and old fans of the Hawkeyes. That’s right! Iowa’s longest running parade – Herky on Parade – will greet 15 new additions Friday morning, one day before the 2004 Iowa Hawkeyes entertain Kent State in the Throwback Game at historic Kinnick Stadium. The latest additions to the very successful effort to “Take the Hawkeye Spirit to the Street” in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the UI’s home of the football facility range in design from Tin Man Herky – yes, from the Wizard of Oz – to Throwback Fan Herky, Cheerleader Herky and, again, in honor of Kinnick Stadium, Scottish Highlander Herky.
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The latest additions to the very successful effort to “Take the Hawkeye Spirit to the Street” in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the UI’s home of the football facility range in design from Tin Man Herky – yes, from the Wizard of Oz – to Throwback Fan Herky, Cheerleader Herky and, again, in honor of Kinnick Stadium, Scottish Highlander Herky.
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“The artists have once again scored a touchdown,” said Rick Klatt, associate athletic director for external affairs, and one of the organizers of Herky on Parade and the Herky on Parade Diamond Collection. The new Herkys will be installed in locations adjacent to or near historic Kinnick Stadium. “We realized shortly after the rollout of the first 75 Herkys in May that we had what we termed a `geographical hole’ in our distribution of Herkys and that hole was immediately around the very building we were celebrating,” said Klatt. Combine that void with the interest of a few more sponsors and a group of artists determined to do another Herky even better and you have the Diamond Collection. Like the original 75, the Herkys that comprise the Diamond Collection will be on public display through the end of the 2004 college football season and available for purchase by the general public if they are not purchased outright by their sponsors. The public auction will be held in December. Klatt said the organizing committee also thought back in May the introduction of the Diamond Collection might provide a needed spark to the program. However, that has proved unnecessary. Interest in Herky on Parade isn’t slowing. In fact, it appears to be gaining more momentum. “The Herky on Parade web site had more traffic in the month of July than June, and August is typically the biggest travel month of the summer,” said Klatt. “Combine those facts with the start of the academic year and the start of another college football season, and you can pretty much understand why we aren’t too concerned about our 90 Herkys being lonely. They have had and will continue to have plenty of visitors.” Interest in Herky on Parade merchandise continues to climb. Sales of the official poster and a 16-month calendar are strong. Playing cards and trading cards are now available as is the first in a series of 8-inch replicas. More than 400 of the “Ironman Herky” – selected in recognition of the Throwback Game – have already been ordered.