The Maggie’s Penguin Parade in Dundee has been nominated for a top award.
The art trail, made up of 80 5ft-tall penguin statues at locations in and around the city, was a highlight of last summer for locals and visitors alike.
It was also a big hit for charity, raising £552,000 for Maggie’s Dundee cancer centre when the sculptures were auctioned at V&A Dundee in September.
The parade has now been shortlisted for the title of Cracking Campaign at the Scottish Charity Awards, run by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations.
As a shortlisted charity, Maggie’s is also in the running to be named as Charity of the Year.
Each penguin was decorated by a different artist, with designs ranging from golfers to footballers and everything in between.
The trail ran for 10 weeks before the sculptures were auctioned.
It not only raised a huge sum of money for Maggie’s Dundee – enough to run the centre at Ninewells for an entire year – it also raised awareness of the support given by the charity to people with cancer and their loved ones.
Around 60,000 people visited the trail last summer, creating an “incredible buzz” which is still being felt today, according to Sharon O’ Loan, Maggie’s fundraising director.
She said: “It’s wonderful to have Maggie’s Penguin Parade shortlisted for the Cracking Campaign Award.
“While the funds raised will allow Maggie’s Dundee to again welcome 12,000-plus visits next year, the impact of the raised awareness of the support Maggie’s offers will be felt for years to come.
“The penguins created an incredible buzz amongst the Dundee community and beyond which firmly helped put Maggie’s Dundee on the map.
“None of this would have been possible without the determination, commitment, energy and talent of the team of volunteers, led by the chair of Maggie’s Dundee fundraising board Shirley Linton, who worked tirelessly to generate such interest within the Dundee community.”
The winners of this year’s awards will be announced on June 14.
Maggie’s is up against Drake Music Scotland, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, the Scottish Cot Death Trust and Young Enterprise Scotland.
Members of the public can vote for the charity they think should win online by visiting https://scvo.org.uk/scottish-charity-awards/vote-2019/charity-of-the-year/maggies
