zina kumok

zkumok@etruth.com

ELKHART — For five months, the elk were displayed around the city. Children could climb on them, people could take photos and visitors could drive by and wonder what the colorful elk represented.

The elk art project was started by Child and Parent Services in an effort to raise money for the nonprofit, which serves to prevent child abuse. The elk were auctioned off in November.

Most of the elk are still displayed out in the open, including Wellfield Gardens, the Lerner Theatre and City Hall.

Neal and Dianne Myers bought an elk along with Joel and Linda Pladson, Bill and Kristin Fenech, Ron and Lisa Fenech and John and Dawn Regan. They plan to rotate the elk among their five businesses so everyone has a chance to display it.

“They do great work, and we just thought it’d be a good way to support the community because the community supports all of us, and it’s a nice way to give back,” Neal Myers said.

They specifically purchased the “Made in the USA – RV Capital of the World” elk because they wanted to represent the RV industry and its roots to Elkhart. Their elk resembles an RV vehicle with the American flag painted over it. All five businesses are connected to the RV industry.

Myers said they have people come in asking about the elk and what it is. He said that it gives them an opportunity to educate people on what CAPS does.

“They say what’re you doing with the big moose?” he said.

Goshen Buick GMC Hyundai owner Dzung Nguyen said his company tries to support local charities as much as possible, so much so that one of his company’s mandates is to be a part of the community.

Having seen similar animal statues displayed around cities like Chicago, Nguyen thought it was an interesting idea. His company bought its elk before the auction and had it designed with its logo. Its name “Equus the Elk” comes from the line of sedans from Hyundai, one of the makes that the dealership carries.

“We had no idea what this thing would be like,” he said.

Since the artists were donating their time, Nguyen said he realized that most of the money would be directly going to CAPS. The November auction raised more than $300,000 for CAPS.

“We want to give back to the community, and this is one of the vehicles to do that,” he said.

For information on where to find the elk now, go to elkartonparade.com/the-elk/elk-locations. For more information on CAPS, go to www.capselkhart.org.



Here is a listing of where the elk’s new homes:



Name: Strength, Stamina, Agility

Artist: Intro to Art Honors – Memorial High School

Location: Cleer Vision, 25120 Leer Drive, Elkhart



Name: Congratulations Elk Art

Artist: Kathy Zienty

Location: 523 Pub and Grill, 523 S. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Botanical Garden

Artist: Anne Willis

Location: Wellfield Gardens, 1000 N. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Simply Spring

Artist: Nikki Long

Location: Wellfield Gardens, 1000 N. Main St., Elkhart



Name: And the Beat Goes On

Artist: Sharon Forrest and Carl E. Forrest

Location: Suzuki of Elkhart, 1226 Bristol St., Elkhart



Name: Just RV It

Artist: Apex Graphics, LLC and Carrera Designs

Location: Robert Weed Plywood, 705 Maple St., Bristol



Name: Grow Up Great

Artist: Jeff Stillson

Location: PNC Bank, 101 N. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Matty and the Bird

Artist: Shar Sosh

Location: Alpha Systems, 5120 Beck Drive, Elkhart



Name: Mr. Elk Goes to the Lerner

Artist: Van, Monte and “Farmer” Bob Hershberger

Location: Lerner Theatre (inside), 410 S. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Hart of Harmony

Artist: Donielle Boal

Location: Gemeinhardt, 57882 S.R. 19, Elkhart



Name: North, South, East, West – Home is Best

Artist: Lauren S. Hodges

Location: Lerner Theatre (inside), 410 S. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Pop Art

Artist: Elkhart Central High School Art Department

Location: Elkhart Central High School (inside), One Blazer Blvd, Elkhart



Name: Helping Hands

Artist: Hilary Hendrie Ross and Scott L. Hendrie

Location: CAPS, 1000 W. Hively Ave., Elkhart



Name: Block Party

Artist: Jeff Stillson

Location: Café Navarre (South Bend), Intersection of Michigan and Washington, South Bend



Name: Equus the Elk – Sammy the Fish

Artist: Shar Sosh

Location: Goshen Buick GMC Hyundai, 3220 Elkhart Road, Goshen



Name: Peace Through Pieces

Artist: Goshen High School I.B./A.P. Art

Location: Goshen High School, 1 Redskin Road, Goshen



Name: Heart of the Midwest

Artist: Linsey Dumm

Location: Gurley Leep Honda, 2200 Bypass Road, Elkhart



Name: Rooted From the Heart

Artist: Heart4theArts

Location: Boling Vision Center, 1615 Winsted Drive, Goshen



Name: Elkabet

Artist: Kay Rhodes

Location: Middlebury Public Library, 101 E. Winslow St., Middlebury



Name: Elk-Royal

Artist: Jacquelyn Smith-Windbigler

Location: Lerner Theatre (inside), 410 S. Main St., Elkhart



Name: Sweet Corn, Indiana

Artist: Cathy Zurek

Location: Panel Solutions, 5015 Verdant St., Elkhart



Name: Made in the USA – RV Capital of the World

Artist: Sarah L. Cook

Location: Max Myers Motors, 209 N. Main St., Middlebury (this elk will travel to different locations)



Name: Garden Elk

Artist: Laurie Balla

Location: Lerner Theatre (inside), 410 S. Main St., Elkhart



Name: We’re Going Places

Artist:Floyd Lehman and Kara Yoder

Location: Parkway Plaza, 56199 Parkway Ave, Elkhart



Name: Jack and the Beanstalk

Artist: Shar Sosh

Location: Lochmandy Buick GMC, 920 N. Nappanee St., Elkhart