Published: March 30, 2010

AVON, Ohio (March 30, 2010) – The New Orleans, La.-based Jerusalem Shriners (local affiliate of Shriners International and Shriners Hospital for Children®) will have a new Mardi Gras-themed sculpture to welcome pediatric patients and help raise money for ongoing care…a Duck Tape® Jester. Created in 2009 by Avon, Ohio-based ShurTech Brands, LLC, marketers of Duck® brand duct tape, for its annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival parade float, the larger-than-life-sized jester head is made almost entirely with Duck® brand duct tape!

 
The creation required 55 hours of ripping and taping, and more than 50 rolls of purple, green, yellow, black, white and clear Duck® brand duct tape. Since its debut at the Mardi Gras-themed Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival in June 2009, the jester head has traveled around the country to various fairs, tradeshows and other events, including the Ohio State Fair, Columbus, Ohio; and its last tour stop, the Ace Hardware-sponsored Ace 2010 Spring Convention and Exhibit, New Orleans, La.
 
It was during the Ace Hardware show that ShurTech representatives met coordinators from Jerusalem Shriners and determined the jester could serve an excellent fundraising – and smile-generating – purpose for the hospital. Coordinators intend to incorporate the duct tape sculpture into various fundraising events, including its Mardi Gras Ball, during which funds are collected to support the Shriners Hospitals’ network of 22 facilities.
 
“The opportunity to donate the jester to The Shriners Hospitals for Children presented itself at the perfect time,” said Christopher Longstreet, manager, trade events, ShurTech. “More than 60 ShurTech partners worked together to create the piece for our parade float, so it’s only fitting that the jester be given a second life to bring happiness and smiles to children and help the Shriners Hospitals for Children raise money to continue providing free care to pediatric patients.”

SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN®
Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment with no financial obligation to patients or families.

DUCK® BRAND
Duck® brand duct tape is available nationally at mass merchandise, hardware and craft retailers in more than 20 colors and patterns, including aqua, camouflage, fluorescent green, pink, orange and yellow, standard silver, and an assortment of other traditional colors such as red, yellow, black and blue.

The Duck® brand offers an array of tapes, packaging supplies and home products that provide simple, imaginative and helpful solutions for a variety of tasks around the home, school and office. Visitwww.duckbrand.com for additional product information.

SHURTECH BRANDS
ShurTech Brands, LLC, markets do-it-yourself tapes, office and housewares products under the Duck®, Painter’s Mate Green®, FrogTape® and Easy Liner® brands. The company is a subsidiary of Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Hickory, N.C., an industry-leading producer of pressure sensitive masking, duct, packaging and specialty tape products, with facilities in the United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Peru, United Arab Emirates and China. Shurtape services numerous markets, including industrial, packaging, HVAC, professional paint, auto, marine, aerospace, arts and entertainment, and retail. Shurtape also manufactures and markets the Shurtape™ and Kip™ brands. Visit www.shurtech.com for more information.