Lake Mills, Wisconsin Man will "Bronze the Fonz"

[FonzFan]

Sawyer to 'bronze the Fonz'

MILFORD — Gerald Sawyer is getting ready to bronze the “Fonz.”

The Town of Milford resident has been hired to craft a bronze sculpture of the legendary “Happy Days” television character for the City of Milwaukee.

“I’m very excited,” said Sawyer, a former rural Fort Atkinson resident who said he expects to begin his work on the project in January. “It’s a high-profile commission.”

The $85,000 sculpture is expected to be located near the Chase Plaza office tower in Milwaukee, where it is scheduled to be unveiled in October. While the exact site has not been chosen, it is thought to be along the riverwalk.

Sawyer submitted a resume and a formal selection process whittled potential candidates down to a handful of artists, from which Sawyer was chosen.

A number of designs are being considered for the sculpture, but none has been selected yet. Sawyer said the potential poses for Fonzie are not being revealed to the public.

A total of $57,000 of the $85,000 needed to construct the bronze Fonz has been raised by Visit Milwaukee, a non-profit organization that promotes tourism in the city.

Plans are in place to raise additional money through the sale of “Bronze the Fonzie” T-shirts, which may be purchased for $22 on the website www.bronzethefonze.com. Ten dollars from each shirt sale will go toward the sculpture fund-raising campaign. (The full story appears in the Nov. 30 Daily Union)

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