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Altrusa International, Inc.
Saginaw, Michigan
"Leaders in Service. . .serving the Saginaw area since 1960"
BEAN BUNNY TOY SERIES ENDED!
Some past-issue bunnies remain.
Sadly, Altrusa Int'l chose to discontinue its line of bean bunny toys after number was introduced in the fall, 2007.
Increasing costs, a limited supply of "bean bunny" ideas and other factors caused the club to discontinue this fundraising effort.
With the exception of "JACK" the original pink bunny, a small inventory of others remains. If you wish to round out your collection of bunny toys, they may still be available.
1998 - Jack, the original pink bunny ---SOLD OUT!---
1999 -- Ben (black bean) and Betty (lima bean) -- The Millenium Couple!
2000 -- Patriotic Pat, a navy bean bunn; he's white with a sailor scarf and hat in red, white and blue motif
2001 -- no bunny issued
2002 -- Pinto Pete, a pinto bean bunny; a cowboy with red neckerchief, cowboy hat and chaps
2003 -- Suzy Soy, a soy bean. Suzy has a gold/red brocade vest, conical straw hat and long, black braid
2004 -- Granny Cranny, a cranberry bean bunny wears duster cap, shoulder shawl and wire-rimmed glasses!
2005 -- Nibaw of the North! He's a Great northern bean bunny and he wears a 'fur' coat and hood and snow shoes
2006 -- Dr. Karl(a) Kidney, MD is modelled on a kidney bean. He/she wears medical scrubs, a hat w/reflector and has a medical bag to boot!
2007 -- Billy the Boxer, based on a black-eyed pea. Billy does indeed have a black eye, wears "silk" shorts and robe with his name embroidered on the back!
Order your bunnies by sending $6.00 each plus $2.00 per bunny for shipping and handling. Send your order to:
Linda Davis, Bean Bag Bunny Project, PO Box 52, Reese, MI 48757-0052.
Bunnies are also available at: Bauer's Jewelry, and the Castle Museum Gift Shop.
Make A Contribution!
Tax-deductible contributions for the preservation and maintenance of the Jack Rabbit Bean sign may be sent to:
Hall of Fame Bean Bunny Fund, Saginaw Community Foundation, 100 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 501, Saginaw, MI 48607
Beginning in 1998 Saginaw Altrusans have assisted in or undertaken a "bean bunny" toy project in celebration and support of Saginaw's beloved Jack Rabbit Bean Sign.
In 1998, Saginaw historian and preservationist Thomas B. Mudd developed "Jack," a pink bean bunny toy modeled after the Jack Rabbit bean logo. Altrusans assisted in the marketing and sales of that toy, which SOLD OUT almost immediately.
For the next two years, Mr. Mudd continued the project with the help of Altrusans. In 1999 he introduced "Ben" (a black bean) and "Betty" (a lima bean) as the Millenium Couple.
"Patriotic Pat" modeled after the Navy bean made his debut in 2000. A white bunny toy, he wears a sailor's cap and collar and is red, white and blue. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Pat was donated to the Veterans Memorial Project located in Hoyt Park.
In 2001, Mr. Mudd chose not to continue the series of bunnies. . .but that didn't stop the enthusiasm for the project! Altrusans were inundated with requests for the "next" bunny. So, in 2002 the club decided to take over the project on their own.
"Pinto Pete" hopped into town wearing a cowboy hat, red bandana and fringed chaps. He represented the pinto bean. The following year, "Suzy Soy" made her debut. Wearing a conical straw hat, a long, black braided queue and a brocade vest, Suzy paid tribute to the soybean industry in Saginaw County. Suzy is a creamy white color with a black tail.
The 2004 toy was"Granny Cranny" who is a cranberry bean. Granny wears a flowered duster cap and shawl and has wire-rimmed spectacles perched on her nose. She is a cranberry color with a beige tail and ears.
The 2005 bunny is "Nibaw of the North" modelled on the Great northern bean. "Nibaw" is a native American name which appropriately translates as "standing tall." The toy wears a blue-grey parka trimmed at the cuffs, hem and hood with white 'fur.' On his back feet, he wears snowshoes!
The 2006 Bunny, Dr. Karl(a) Kidney, was based on the kidney bean and is red with a doctor bag, lab coat and reflector lamp.
Introduced at the 2007 Holiday Mart, Billy the Boxer, is modeled on the black-eyed pea. Billy is white, with a true 'black eye,' and in the spirit of boxing wears satin shorts, embroidered robe. He has boxing gloves on his front paws!
A portion of the proceeds of the bean bunny toys is donated each year by Altrusa to the Saginaw Community Foundation's "Bean Bunny Sign Maintenance Fund." Remaining monies are used to support the many service projects of Altrusa.
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