The Daytona Tortugas are doing their first-ever bobblehead promotion on Saturday, and boy did they snag a great subject: American painting icon Bob Ross.
Ross hosted more than 403 episodes of PBS’s Joy of Painting before he passed away in 1995 at the age of 52. He was awesome, enthusiastic, and a Daytona Beach native, making him a perfect honoree for the Class-A Advanced Tortugas.
The first 1,000 fans will receive the bobblehead, and the team also introduced a ticket package that includes a Bob Ross t-shirt.
Spread the joy: @daytonatortugas celebrate @PBS icon, native son Bob Ross with bobbleheads, painting classes, more: https://t.co/6OTFWzlp3k pic.twitter.com/5BqrRmX7Od
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 11, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWabnOYAqZS/
So, this is a way better promotion than handing out Tim Tebow’s game-used dirt.
The team is going above and beyond to honor Ross throughout the day. On Saturday morning, they’ll host the “Bob Ross Happy Little 5K,” with eight-foot canvases along the run where competitors can stop and paint. There’s a second ticket package that includes a pregame painting class taught by instructors wearing Ross wigs in his signature perm.
Here’s what Tortugas president Ryan Keur told MiLB.com about the process of setting up Bob Ross Night:
“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Tortugas president Ryan Keur. “We reached out to Bob Ross’ foundation [Bob Ross Incorporated], and they were so excited. They gave us permission to use Bob Ross’ name and do the bobblehead. They’ve played an integral role in all the little pieces, transforming this into a full day of Bob Ross activities.”
[…]
“It just continues to take off,” said Keur. “[Tuesday] we’re introducing a ticket package with a Bob Ross T-shirt, and I think the Bob Ross Chia Head we have in our office will be making an appearance. We’re also unveiling a tree planting on our [ballpark] riverwalk that will be dedicated to Bob Ross. We’ll have lookalike contests throughout the game, and Bob Ross DVDs as prizes.
“Theme nights are cool, but you’ve really got to embrace them,” he concluded. “This is one we’ve had circled for a long time, and we’re happy it’s only a few days away.”
[MiLB.com]
