oregon donkey

Oregon's donkey hangs in limbo while officials figure out how to get it home.

During the Democratic National Convention held last month in Philadelphia, the city was bedecked with 57 fiberglass donkeys representing the different states and electoral territories present at the convention. The donkeys were scattered at strategic sites throughout the City of Brotherly Love, each one hand-painted with symbols of the state that they represent. Now the DNC is over, and it’s time for the donkeys to go home. That’s easier said than done, however, when you are talking about large, heavy fiberglass statues.

oregon donkey

Oregon’s donkey hangs in limbo while officials figure out how to get it home.

The donkeys, which were commissioned and paid for by the City of Philadelphia, are being gathered up between now and the end of August. Some will be shipped back home – at a cost of $2,000 per donkey – but others will be waiting for a while.

One of those included in the waiting game is that of Oregon. Oregon’s donkey was painted by artist Nora Einbender Luks and includes such iconic state symbols as “images of the Painted Hills, Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, Cannon Beach and our Oregon state flower: the Oregon Grape blossom,” according to Brad Martin, executive director of the Democratic Party of Oregon. During the convention, Oregon’s donkey was homed at the Franklin Institute. Oregon is eager to get the donkey back, Martin says, but the cost of shipping is daunting.

That’s why Oregon’s donkey, along with several others, will be hanging out at a volunteer’s home in Philadelphia until travel arrangements can be made. Oregon, Washington, and several other western states are organizing a “donkey caravan.” Volunteers will rent U-Haul trucks and drive several of the donkeys across the country themselves, saving on the shipping costs. It remains to be seen when this will happen, however.

Martin says that, when the donkey gets home to Oregon, it will be the centerpiece of party celebrations like the Wayne Morse Gala.