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Previous coverage: TPA holds contest for new flamingo sculpture
Tampa International Airport is holding a Name That Flamingo contest, where members of the public are invited to submit suggestions for the chance to win four round-trip flights and a VIP Busch Gardens experience.
TAMPA, Fla. - The giant flamingo that greets travelers at Tampa International Airport will soon have a name of its own — and it's up to the public to decide what that name will be.
One month ago, TPA unveiled its "Name the Flamingo" contest, where anyone could submit a name for the 21-foot sculpture in the airport's main terminal.
They were inundated with over 65,000 submissions, which they said both "excited and overwhelmed" judges who had to narrow down the choices to three finalists.
Initially, they were expected to take one week to do so, but due to the sheer number of responses they received, the final leg of the contest was delayed. That is, until now.
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On Friday, the airport's Twitter account posted just before 11:30 a.m., asking followers, "Does anyone want to know the three finalist names for the flamingo?"
Shortly afterward, their website for the contest, nametheflamingo.com, was updated with a simple poll, giving members of the public three name options to choose from, along with who submitted them and the reason they chose the name:
- Cora (submitted by Glorianne P.): "Because the official name of the art piece is 'Home,' we can expand on that and consider the phrase, 'Home is Where the Heart is.' Cora is short for Corazon, which translates to heart in Spanish," Glorianne wrote.
- Finn (submitted by Braxton W.): "Finn the flamingo has the perfect ring to it. Every time I see a flamingo, it looks like they have fins on their feet that they forgot to take off. It always makes me laugh," Braxton said in his submission.
- Phoebe (submitted by James M.): "A play on Phoenicopterus - the flamingo's scientific name 'Phoebe' is also a playful alliterative to flamingo and means brilliantly inquisitive. The overall 'Home' sculpture is literally brilliant and reveals the flamingo's inquisitiveness as it hunts for food in the shallows," James wrote.
The public now has the chance to pick their favorite name. Originally, voting was slated to open Monday, Dec. 12 and run until Friday, Dec. 16. But since the delay, it is unclear how long the public voting will go.
Whichever name garners the most votes, the person who submitted the winning choice will take home the following prizes:
- 4 nonstop, round-trip tickets for themselves and three companions on Silver Airways
- A VIP Experience package to Busch Gardens, including 4 single-day admission tickets, 4 All-Day Dining passes, 4 Quick Queue Unlimited passes, and preferred parking
- A chance to "bask in the limelight" at a reveal event for the flamingo's new name in TPA's main terminal
To vote for your favorite name, visit TPA's "Name the Flamingo" website by clicking here.