A Beary Good Time

CAIRO – Thanks to the efforts of the Cairo Development Foundation (CDF) and some dedicated volunteers, the beauty of the Community Art Bears was on full display this summer and the recent bear auction a roaring success. Some 130 people were in attendance at the event held in the Old Factory Brewing Company on Main Street. 

Fifty-six bears by thirty-four artists were auctioned off following a full buffet dinner included in the ticket price. While many of the attendees and artists were from Greene County and its surrounding areas, some came from out of the region and even out of state including PA and CT. A bear raffle raised additional funds as did a 50/50 drawing with a grand prize of $600. This year, the ticket holder who won that raffle generously donated back her share of the prize.

On hand to MC the event was Gigi Verkaik, a Cairo resident and an active member of the CDF. While the final totals for the event are not yet tallied, last year’s auction raised $62,000 for projects to help make improvements along the Cairo Main Street. 

The bears this year were “just stunning,” says one audience member. 

While the Bear Auction is a fun event, this Community Art Project takes a full year of planning and creating and 9+ volunteers actively working the day of the auction to pull it off. In the week following the auction, the CDF starts the paperwork for the next year’s program. Necessary steps toward making the program a success include advertising, collecting design submissions, ordering the bears from Chicago, distributing the bears to the artists, collecting the bears, getting them seal-coated and then installing them around the town. Some of the Town Park workforce assist with putting out the reusable stands and barrels that hold the artworks.

Another time-consuming task is designing a map for visitors to use to find all the bears. They’re not just on the Main Street. The Bear Map encourages locals and visitors to tool around the whole town, including Purling and Round Top, looking for what will become their favorites.

While the project is a massive one for those involved, it has become a popular event bringing scores of visitors into the town. Cairo has been experiencing growth in recent years with some new businesses moving in and a noticeable improvement in the look of the Main Street. The Bear Pocket Park replaced a condemned building, and there are several eateries now on the strip including the Juice Branch, See and Be, the Red Star Café, and Nina’s Delightful Bites, all joining the ever popular mainstay, Cozy Cup.

Spearheaded by its current president Diana Benoit and Art Project Coordinator Sherry True, the groundwork for the CDF began in 2017. Besides the Bear Auction, other current projects include raising funds for and working with the American Legion and the Cairo Rotary to repair the Cairo Fountain to its former glory, and helping to establish a new art hub for showcasing local artwork and providing workshops.

The nonprofit CDF is located at 467 Main Street in Cairo. For more information on these events or to volunteer or donate to the fountain repair, contact them at: cairodevelopmentfoundation@gmail.com