HELP US continue the movement to honor Harry Kalas, a legend in Philadelphia sports, with an amazing memorial sculpture.Make a difference and donate now.
More than just a sportscaster, Harry Kalas was a true Philadelphia legend and an integral part of the fabric of this determined city, where almost nothing is as important as our teams. As players came and went over the years, one constant remained a comfort for generations of fans.
Harry and fellow Hall of Famer Richie "Whitey" Ashburn formed the greatest announcing team in the history of Major League Baseball.
Harry's "That ball is outta here", and Richie's "hard to believe Harry" were signifying sounds of summer every bit as familiar and comforting as the crash of ocean waves… as likely to make you smile as a July 4th party with family and friends!
Harry was hired by the Phillies in 1971 and his golden pipes opened Veterans Stadium that same year. Harry called the last game at Veterans Stadium as well as the first game at
Citizens Bank Park, and the comforting timbre of his distinctive baritone colored six no-hitters, six National League Championship Series, and three World Series along the way including the most recent World Series victory in 2008.
His easy-going style, his mellow but durable phrasing, his incredibly animated big play calls, his undying love of the game and his accessibility to his legions of fans were all uniquely Harry… let's not forget. Let's never forget Harry.
A man of the people, Harry believed that anything was possible! From resurrecting the cries of Tug McGraw's "Ya Gotta Believe!" to his unapologetic love of the campy song, High Hopes, with Harry the impossible was always achievable!
That song– first made popular by Sinatra– became Harry's when he bravely sang it at Phillies' championship celebrations in his later years. Most tearfully and most memorably, at the first home game after Kalas’ passing, fans sang along with a video of Harry crooning High Hopes during the seventh-inning stretch.
The song that Harry loved to sing describes a few impossible scenarios, where animals do seemingly impossible acts. An ant moves an entire Rubber tree plant by itself… a ram single-handedly knocks down a dam.
We can move that plant. We can knock down that dam. We can do impossible acts! We, the fans of Harry, can honor this legend with a MEMORIAL STATUE!
A petition to create a memorial statue on Facebook caught the eye of big time Phillies fan and renowned realist sculptor, Lawrence Nowlan.
The original petition now numbering nearly 20,000 signatures, was started by Antonio José who says, "Philadelphia has a Rocky Statue. Don’t you think Harry has done more for this city than Rocky did?" Since garnering so many followers the petition has been reported on in the Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com.
Nowlan–whose lifelike bronze sculptures have been installed everywhere from New York's Port Authority to Napa Valley's Vintner Hall of Fame–became inspired by the petition and started working on a model.
"If we build it they will come," he says, meaning the Phillies. "It is our hope that Philadelphians - and others from around the country - who loved Harry Kalas will contribute to this monument-of-love to Harry, and that our gift will be graciously accepted by the Phillies and displayed in an appropriate location."
His easy-going style, his mellow but durable phrasing, his incredibly animated big play calls, his undying love of the game and his accessibility to his legions of fans were all uniquely Harry… let's not forget. Let's never forget Harry.
