One day I was walking through downtown Langley with Kibo, one of the Malamutes I’ve had over many years. I happened to run into Georgia Gerber, a very well-known sculptor who also lives on Whidbey Island. She asked me if I would be willing to have Kibo stand as a model for a large bronze statue she was commissioned to create. I asked, “Sure. What’s it for?” Georgia replied, “They are going to put it in front of Husky Stadium at the University of Washington.” After picking my jaw up off the ground, I replied, “Are you kidding?!?!?!? I would give my right arm for that privilege!!!” The University of Washington is my alma mater.
Over the next several months, Kibo and I would go to Georgia’s studio many times as Georgia gradually crafted the statue.
On the day of the installation, Kibo, Ellen, Houston (Ellen’s dog), and I were all invited to the installation ceremony. The local TV cameras were there. At the moment of the unveiling, the 240-member Husky marching band came out playing the Husky fight song. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
To this day, that memory fills me with joy.
Several years after the statue was installed, we were driving past husky stadium and saw that Kibo had been decked out with hundreds of peace cranes.
Go Huskies… Go Dawgs!!!
