PARK CITY — A hard-to-miss herd of moose has turned into cash cows up here.
The antlered animals — about 20-some-odd, some being odder than others — earned a stash of cash recently for Park City arts programs as part of the "Moose on the Loose" fund-raiser. They generated an astounding $416,500 at an auction for three local nonprofit organizations.
Organizers were flabbergasted the fiberglass mammals — artsied up mostly by locals who volunteered their time and efforts — earned that much money for the Kimball Art Center, Park City Performing Arts Foundation (The Eccles Center) and Egyptian Theatre Company.
It was apparent from the get-go people were ready to dip into their wallets to support the arts and bag a moose: A head sold for $3,500, and the first two "mooseterpieces" went for about $6,500 apiece at the bidding event "Moose-a-palooza."
The prices increased drastically from there, with the final auction items the most popular and pricey. The copper-clad "Rudy the Riveted" and "Once in a Blue Moose," painted from rack to hoof in a brilliant shade of shiny blue, sold for at least $40,000 to a group of friends and business partners.
"The blue moose had been in the center of town, so many people had fallen in love with it," said fund-raiser co-chairwoman Diane Hodge. "It has so much eye contact it drove that price right up. There was kind of a frenzy at the end."
Overall, the moose sold for an average of about $20,000 apiece. Organizers were hoping, with fingers crossed, that Bullwinkle's buddies would raise $10,000 each — a projection based on the amount earned at a similar fund-raiser in White Fish, Mont.
"We were shocked," Hodge said. "We would consider this wildly successful. We were so thrilled people supported the arts in that way.
"We would have been thrilled to make $200,000," she added. "We knew people and tourists loved it and people were constantly taking pictures of the moose, but we just had no idea if it would be a hit or not."
Several moose are still visible around town. "Bark City," completely covered in dogs, is being displayed outside its adopted owner, Cole Sports. The Claim Jumper restaurant has placed its two purchases, "Enlightened" and "Musical Moose," on Main Street. That's also the new home of the fashionable "Lucy Moosey."
Some auction winners have approached city leaders about donating their moose so the public can enjoy them. The city agreed to cover liability for the moose.
Because of the fund-raiser's success, organizers are considering making and selling miniature moose, calendars, posters and other merchandise to benefit the arts further.
E-MAIL: jody@desnews.com