History
In 1970 Amy Hurst saw a Jayhawk bumper sticker depicting Big Jay and hatchlings which inspired her to create a new mascot. After talking to a co-worker who was a Big Jay and getting approval from the KU Alumni Association she created Baby Jay.
Baby Jay made her official debut October 9, 1971 during the half-time of KU's homecoming game against in-state rivals Kansas State University. In front of 55,000 fans Big Jay hauled a large egg to the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium. A few moments later Baby Jay "hatched" from the artificial egg and has served as an ambassador of KU at events across the country ever since.
The original costume weighed 30 pounds, consisted of chicken wire, fiberglass, and felt. The total cost was $53. In 2003, Amy Hurst, the original Baby Jay, started a fund to help cover the cost of the now $5,000 costume that is replaced every two years.
Read more about this topic: Baby Jay
Famous quotes containing the word history:
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