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 hat do you do when two angelic
voices sing out in chorus "Daddy, we want an UGA beanie!" You start  your own company to give them what they want. . . that's what
you do!
William J. Gaffney is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and nowhere is the enthusiasm of the sports fan
stronger than in the Southeast! Bill is also the father of adorable twin girls, Lauren and Lyndsey, who often accompany
him to U. Ga. home football games in Athens. The girls were avid collectors of Beanie Babies TM, the cute bean bag animals
sold by Ty, Inc.TM
(rumor is. . . Bill has a pretty healthy Beanie collection himself!). Through his contacts in the U. Ga.
athletic department, Bill had acquired certain prequisites not readily available to the general public.
It was through this channel that Lauren and Lyndsey gained an up close and personal experience with UGA V, the
white English bulldog mascot for Georgia that has become famous on stage and screen. On a crisp fall day in 1997,
while the twins were hugging UGA, Lauren looked at Lyndsey and asked, " Why don't we have an UGA beanie?"
Bill realized how excited the many fans, students, and alumni became when discussing their school's mascot, and
he recognized the similarity to the conversations he overheard while searching out additions to the twins' beanie
collection. With the frenzied pace of the collectable bean bag market and his love of college sports, Bill felt sure it was time to provide a
premium line of officially licensed mascots representing America's colleges and universities.
Using his contacts from his background in advertising and promotions, Bill was able to find backing for his project.
The first four CAMPUS CRITTERS were ready in time for the fall 1998 sports season: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and
Tennessee. Today there are 50 school mascots in the collection, with many more in the development and approval stages.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of CAMPUS CRITTERS goes back to the schools to help fund a variety of projects
within the various athletic programs. |
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