MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – Skamp the monkey may only be a little stuffed animal, but he is making a big difference in bringing people to the lakeshore.
Tina Prigge got Skamp when she was working in Japan as an English teacher in the late 90s. Now, Skamp is the mascot for the Vagabond Creative project, Coolest Coast.
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“Coolest Coast is all about tourism, economic, development and community engagement. It’s internal focused on the community but also external focused, like why should somebody come here and support all of the cool things that are going on,” Prigge says.
Skamp is all over the Coolest Coast Facebook page, showcasing various places in Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Kewaunee counties. He is also the face of the project’s newest feature, the Youth Resource Hub which provides a variety of local resources to young adults.
Prigge says, “The Coolest Coast is all about this amazing place that we live and sharing what makes it awesome. The organizations, the businesses, the people, and the things that there are to do. Our community is only strong and awesome if there’s another generation coming up to keep supporting it, so we realize that the monkey was a really fun way to make things approachable. He’s cute, he is any man, any woman, and any kid’s monkey. “
Coolest Coast is having a contest called “Where is Skamp Monkeying Around?” If you see posters of Skamp in the community at 2 different locations, take selfies with them, and submit them here, you will be entered for a chance to win a $200 gift card.
The project also has another contest as a part of the campaign where by answering questions correctly about some of the places Skamp has been, you could win a variety of prizes.
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“It’s exciting because we love this community so much. That’s why we are passionate about sharing its message, and so when people respond to that, that’s satisfaction, that’s happiness, that’s the goal right there is that connection,” Prigge says.
Coolest Coast is always looking for more places to take Skamp. If you have any ideas about where he should go next, reach out using the project’s social media platforms.
