The Phillies front office released this statement today. Thanks to Phillies Nation for getting the news out on their blog (vote for them in the Phield!)
The Phillies have gratefully accepted the fan-funded gift of a 7½-foot bronze statue of Harry Kalas for placement at Citizens Bank Park, Mike Stiles, Senior Vice President, Administration and Operations, announced today. The statue was presented to the Phillies as a gift from Dear Harry, Inc., a fan-based group organized solely to create a statue dedicated to the memory of the Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster. The sculptor, Lawrence J. Nowlan, has received important commissions for public sculpture across the country and overseas.
“A group of us from the Phillies went to the Laran Bronze Foundry in Chester to see the statue for the first time a few weeks ago,” said Stiles. “We were very impressed. It’s a wonderful likeness of Harry that really captures his spirit. There are interesting details that I don’t want to give away. I think fans will be very excited to see this statue of Harry at the ballpark.
“The Phillies are very grateful to all the fans who contributed to this effort, as well as to Larry Nowlan for his impressive work. We accept the gift, with gratitude, in honor of the memory of our beloved colleague and friend, Harry Kalas.”
Details about the location of the statue at the ballpark and date and time of the unveiling have yet to be determined.
My only questions is why did the fans have to pay for this statue? But nonetheless, it just proves how amazing and great our fans really are to commit $80,000 of their hard-earned money for a dedication to Harry Kalas, the voice of this city.
it’s a shame they couldn’t have built him a statue while he was alive.