Safari auction
Sculptures raise cash
The giant safari animals which took over Hamilton during the summer raised over £90,000 at auction – bringing the popular public art trail to a spectacular close.
Hundreds of bidders, sponsors, artists and spectators packed into the Town House to try to secure one of the bespoke sculptures from The BIG Stampede.
And the most popular animal was Clyde the mosaic lion who fetched £6600 – with all of the evening’s proceeds going to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity’s Schiehallion Appeal.
Gareth Walker, manager at Hamilton Business Improvement District, said: “What a fantastic auction to end what has been a memorable summer for The BIG Stampede.
“The trail has proven to be a real draw, bringing increased visitors to the town and supporting the local economy, and it is great to see that they will now go to new homes while raising funds for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
“A lot of hard work has gone into the trail and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved, from the bidders to everyone who has supported The BIG Stampede over the summer, including our sponsors, partners, artists and all the people who visited them and ensured the project was such a phenomenal success.”
Clyde the lion went for the most money, followed by Alfie Astonia at £5400 and the Out of the Loch giraffe on £4400.
Shona Cardle, chief executive at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The trail was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and funds for our Schiehallion Appeal. On behalf of the patients we treat and their families, I would like to say thank you to everyone who made the auction such a success.”
The auction marked the end of the trail – which saw dozens of lifesize lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos and gorillas join 80 baby hippos designed by primary school children.