It has been a lonely existence for Gus the Dinosaur on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Centre Street. Sure, he gets dozens a visitors coming to take photos with him, but he was looking for a deeper, less fleeting relationship.
The DinoArts Association realized this and last Friday introduced him to a cute triceratops charmer right across the street.
This is the fourth installation by the association, and the third manufactured by Studio Y Creations.
“A new one every year is kind of the game plan,” said John Shoff. “We are thankful to the group, the fundraisers and the supporters, we couldn’t do it without any of those people.”
Already she is turning heads, including Gus’s. There has been a steady stream of traffic coming to visit her.
To bring her to the Valley the Association launched a gofundme campaign, which has so far raised $800, and is still active. The work continues to realize the $16,000 price tag.
“We are still working on raising the funds One of the fundraisers is the Ultimate Pieing Championship,” said Shoff. On November 28, a number of notable residents will be getting pied at a Drumheller Dragons hockey game. See story on page 4.
This is not the only initiative of the DinoArts Association. They continue to look for ways to beautify the community. Last spring volunteers did an incredible job of repainting the historic dinosaurs throughout town, including the “nurse” triceratops which was moved to the Gough Building on Third Avenue to make way for the new installation.
The DinoArts Association is also continuing its planning of the Dino Walk of Fame, an idea to encourage foot traffic in the core.
Now that she has arrived, before she can be formally introduced to Gus, she needs a name. Shoff says they may have a contest in the future to determine the name. In the meantime, the two will continue to stare longingly across the street.