We are heretofore announcing the formation of the Royal Rockchuck Society of Redmond. The mission of this august organization will be to elevate the role of the yellow-bellied marmot in our community wherever possible and to raise funds for tasteful representations of the little critter wherever public art is desirable.
There are communities that celebrate the hated mosquito, UFOs, fungi, rednecks and even possums (which aren’t nearly as cute as rockchucks) – why can’t we embrace rockchucks?
Can’t you see the perfect match of Redmond and rockchucks? Why not celebrate the unusual, the annoying, and the little-known (outside our town)?
We could begin an annual Rockchuck Festival, a summer extravaganza that could put us on the map and include us in every travel publication in the U.S. No one, and we mean no one, has a Rockchuck Festival.
Here are some ideas that have been tossed around:
- Summer event
o Elect royalty for event {Miss Marmota? King Chuck?}
o Hold a whistling contest
o Coin term ‘marmot mojo’ for community spirit
o Barbecue cook-off contest (but no rockchucks, please)
o Partner with Rockchuck Ramble fun run
o Sidewalk art contest
o Photo contest (best rockchuck pic)
o Herbivore recipe contest {best salad east of the cascades?}
o A homebrew contest {sponsored by Redmond Homebrew Supplies, which uses rockchuck in its logo?!?}
o A Whistle Pig music festival?
- A rockchuck-themed mini golf course that ‘whistles’ when you sink a ball
- An independent nonprofit group that functions as ambassadors for the city and appears at official events. A booster group, if you will.
- A parade contingent that hands out ‘Rockchuck Bucks” to the crowd, good for discounts and free stuff from downtown merchants but only on day of event, to promote local shopping.
- A fountain/statuary in the downtown plaza. What better representation of our high desert community than a mammoth rocky boulder, crawling with a den of life-size bronze rockchucks peeking out of crevices and standing on hind legs for a better view of the plaza visitors?
Do you have any ideas? Do you want to join our Society? Email lpugmire@redmondspokesman.com and learn more.Or find us on Facebook and 'like' us!
