It’s getting closer to showtime for famous TV clown J.P. Patches and his sidekick Gertrude.
Lifesize bronze statues of the duo soon will be cast at a foundry in Oregon.
Sultan sculptor Kevin Pettelle is putting the finishing touches on the statues to get them ready for metalwork. His small-scale sculptures were enlarged and cast in foam for more carving.
“I’m in a sprint now,” said Pettelle, a longtime Patches Pal. “I think it’s looking really good. The goal is to make something that’s worth being around 100 years.”
Organizers plan to unveil the completed bronze statues at an event at 1 p.m. Aug. 17, said Bryan Johnston, chairman of the statue committee and a senior KIRO TV producer.
The sculpture called “Late for the Interurban” will be installed near the well-known “Waiting for the Interurban” statues in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.
The project honors Chris Wedes of Edmonds, who played J.P. Patches on TV from 1958 to 1981. A special donation box modeled on the show’s ICU2TV will collect money for Children’s Hospital, a favorite charity of Wedes.
The sculptures were paid for using more than $150,000 in donations from Patches Pals, fans of the show.
Organizers previously announced the J.P. sculpture would be unveiled at the June 21 Solstice Day Parade, but work took longer than expected.
Donations trickled in for months, and organizers were worried about how quickly the money might be raised.
This spring, Pemco Insurance CEO Stan McNaughton and a group of well-heeled anonymous Patches Pals put up $50,000 to match any donations that came in.
“When that word got out, an excessive amount of donations started to come in,” Johnston said. “We were getting two donations for every one. We were over the top in short order.”
Any donations from here out will go to support Children’s Hospital.
The sculptures are an amazing tribute, Wedes said.
“The fact that I know it’s going to be there after I’m gone still collecting money for the hospital, that’s a plus,” said Wedes, who turned 80 in April.
Wedes is fighting a blood cancer called acute myeloma and requires regular dialysis and chemotherapy appointments.
He is feeling well enough to make appearances at parties and festivals, and is scheduled to be at the Evergreen State Fair this summer.
The big unveiling of the statues in Seattle is expected to draw hundreds of fans from the region.
“I think its going to be fun,” Wedes said. “The oohs and ahhs and applause. I’m really quite honored.”
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com
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