April 1, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY J.P!

A Statue of J.P. Patches and Gertrude??!!

        Dateline: SEATTLE (and everywhere else.) - Hey, kids! Ever wonder what happened to all those "Patches Pals" who spent a goodly part of their childhood immersed in the good-natured chaos of J.P. Patches, Gertrude, Goorsst, Boris S. Wart, Miss Smith and the rest of the denizens of the mythical City Dump?

        Well, a lot of them grew up. But some of them apparently didn't, and they've banded together, on the impending 50th anniversary of the Seattle debut of the clown and children's show host, to erect a statue honoring the most popular figure in early Seattle television history.

        The proposed site for the life-size statue is the southwest corner of Fremont Ave. N. and N. 34th Street, approximately 50 feet west of the "Waiting for the Interurban" sculpture in downtown Fremont. Seattle businesswoman Suzie Burke graciously donated the land for the statue, which will depict J.P., Gertrude and the famous ICU2TV, from which J.P. issued personalized on-air birthday greetings to his puzzled but delighted young fans.

        The fundraising effort will continue through 2008, culminating with the unveiling of the statue sometime in the Summer. Any monies raised beyond the cost of casting and installation of the statue will be donated to Children's Hospital. In addition, the ICU2TV will have a slot in the top to collect donations, which will go directly to Children's Hospital.

Progress Report Gertrude & J.P. take a look at themselves. Breaking News! Stan McNaughton, the chief executive officer of PEMCO Insurance, is the spokesperson for "The Patches Pals" who wish to remain anonymous. McNaughton issued this challenge: for each dollar donated to the statue fund, "The Patches Pals" will match it up to $50,000. Click here to read the latest Hot-Off-The-Presses News Release: J.P. Patches Statue Committee Announces PEMCO CEO's Challenge to Local Business Leaders!

Well ... We Made It!! The Statue Unveiling will be this August 17th!!! From now on ... all the monies raised will go to Children's Hospital! Have you donated to Children's Hospital yet?

        Click on over to Urban Sparks and check out The Evolution Of The Statue.

or pop a check in the mail:

JP Patches statue/Urban Sparks
P.O. Box 17003
Seattle, WA 98127