The T-Rex Walking Club parades in Ferndale,MI
The T-Rex Walking Club takes a stroll to bring joy during the coronavirus pandemic. A silly and secret club formed during the pandemic is on a quest to bring smiles to the faces of kids, and a few adults, while under Michigan’s stay home order.
On Friday, when Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended Michigan’s order, there was parade of a pink unicorn, followed by a gentle giraffe, a ferocious bear, a swinging stegosaurus, Scooby-Doo and a shark too, a tall pterodactyl, a trotting triceratops, a black-and-white penguin, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a friendly T-Rex, another penguin, and a one-eyed Minion.
This motley crew, which calls itself the Ferndale T-Rex Walking Club, takes its unannounced strolls through neighborhoods. There are other characters, too, and a few members have costumes on order. On their next walks, you might see an additional unicorn, more sharks, a polar bear, a gorilla, a Godzilla, an alligator, a hippo, a flamingo, a zebra, and an upside-down clown.
Most members of the club are also members of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.The point of the parade, is to cheer up the community during otherwise gloomy times and get children and adults to smile, said Oscar Renautt, who heads the Elks public relations committee.
The T-Rex club has its own set of rules. You must be invited; have an enclosed, inflatable costume; wear a face mask; and you can never, ever tell anyone where — or when — the group is going to go walking.
The founder, Ms. Ignash, received her pink unicorn costume one Christmas, has had it for years, and she’d occasionally show up somewhere in it for a laugh. Then, she posted the article in Facebook for local residents and they thought it was a good idea. Folks asked her to organize an event, so she did. It was right after the stay-at-home order, and within two hours, close to 200 people were interested.
Ignash decided that it was a totally crazy idea, and irresponsible to create crowds of people during a pandemic, so she canceled the event, and started over. Instead, she created a private group and invited just a couple of friends to join her. They went on a walk in costume, and then another, and another, adding a few friends — and characters — each time.
The costumes are so big that they naturally require the walkers to space out about six-feet apart, a social distancing requirement of the governor’s order. They also don’t want to spread the virus so they wear masks.Visibility inside isn’t so good either, and it can get hot inside the costume. So they don’t walk for too long. “But, it’s fun because kids really freak out,” Ignash said. “They see us coming, or they hear other people talking about us coming, and kids freak out. Its fun, just so much fun.”
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credits: Frank Witsil- Detroit Free Press, Ferndale Elks Club
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“a procession is a participants’ journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.”
– Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
This is such a wonderful idea! Child or adult, there is something about those types of costumes which brings a smile to the face. Well shared, Beth! If you could choose a costume, what would you want to dress as?
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yes, i agree, they are impossible not to respond to with at least a smile. i would be a sock monkey.
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❤ I knew you had a little monkey in you! 🐵
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Absolutely
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Yay for silliness!!!;)
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Yes!!
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Oh what fun this is. I love seeing everyone find new ways to reach out safely. I can imagine that is quite a sight coming down the sidewalk. 😂😂 made me smile this morning. I hope you are doing well. 💜💜
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i never fail to be amazed at people’s kindness and ingenuity.
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I hope you are doing well 🦋🧡
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Love it!
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May the only thing they give and get is joy, Beth. I cheer the heart of these dinosaurs as they parade safely distanced.
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yes, i’m with you on this, mark –
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A wonderful idea.
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I think so too!
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😍
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I may need to relocate to Ferndale, MI.
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You would love it
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That’s T-Riffic! ヽ(=^・ω・^=)丿
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This brought me back to dichotomy. Just about when I’m fed up with humanity, I see something like this and, albeit sometimes reluctantly, decide to forgive us all one more time. 🙂
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This is the best thing I’ve seen yet
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So creative and wonderful
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I loved this, too. Did you see the Root Beer delivery by dancing T-Rex? (I think it was in Wisconsin)
Whimsy and humor – good things the are showing up from stuck at home!
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So great!
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Brilliant fun. How exciting to look out your window and see this surprise parade of fun and humor!!!
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What a great 💝 gift
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That is just AWESOME!
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I think so too!
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I hope this idea does not go extinct once the stay at home order is over…
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Me either, what a fun group )
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it seems like they must enjoy what they are doing…
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Absolutely
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Talk about creative solutions…. It’s the little things right now that give me hope. This is so silly that it’s absolutely brilliant.
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It really is, all of that
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I love this!! I want to join! 😀
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Start this in your neighborhood! I can see you )
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It would be really fun! 😀
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I love that this awful pandemic is bringing out the best in so many! What a fun idea! I would definitely be a dolphin
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I do too! I would be a sock 🐒 monkey
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Fun!
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A fantastic post and thanks for sharing this. Another example of how Mother Nature is reclaiming the streets where humans used to tread!
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Thanks, and that’s true! ) 🦖
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How FABULOUS is THAT!!!! What fun and what a wonderful thing to do. 🙂
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I so agree!
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This is terrific! It helps both kids and parents, and it’s a way to entertain that also teaches….love it.
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yes, to all of that and great fun for the participants too!
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Such a little thing with such a big reward!
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that’s so true, dale – a win/win
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How sweet, Always lovely to have something to smile about!
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I agree!
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Count me in!
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What character would you be?
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Cookie Monster. There’s no doubt.
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Ah, yes! Too bad there’s not a mint chocolate chip gelato character
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True!
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ah cute! I love it! So good they’re doing this for the kids!
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I know!
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Very cute. Puts a smile on your face. 🙂
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It does!
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I love this, Beth! How wonderful!
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Thanks, resales!
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Resa)
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Brilliant!
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Yes!
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nothing like this happened in our city; we shall have to approach the T-Rex Walking Club of Michigan to endorse a similar chapter in Adelaide 🙂
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you can be the founder, john!
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Its wonderful ideas to bring smile in this pandemic.. its time for us to stay at home and maintaining social distancing as it can save us .. Lets pray one day we will see the sunshine and golden day is just knocking.. We want to survive in this beautiful world…
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Yes, to all of that!)
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I love this! People can be so creative! Thank you for sharing that.
Blessings!♥♥
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My pleasure!
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How fabulous! But “an enclosed, inflatable costume!!” Hilarious. Can exactly just whip one up at home, can you?
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My inner child is jumping up and down! What a fun event it must be to see!! You had me grinning from ear to ear at the picture! May I share this on my blog? It might inspire someone else somewhere to do the same thing.
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Absolutely and I hope it does!
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What a perfectly wonderful and darling idea!
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i think so too! )
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We need these moments. Pleasure is a need.
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That’s awesome. I’m a new blogger and I was hoping that y’all could check out my blogging website. 😁https://thewalkershow.wordpress.com/
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What a wonderful post!
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thanks!
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Can a mermaid join?
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Absolutely
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