Some of you already have met Chuck the Buckeye, and have heard the story of how he became the Columbus AUG mascot, for those who haven't though...
In 2015, my first year as an AUG Leader and my first trip to Summit, we had an AUG Lounge on the expo floor. We were asked to bring a symbol of our City, to showcase the different areas we were all from. I had a hard time coming up with what I thought was a diverse symbol of our City (we are more than OSU! darn it!) and so I put off and put off shopping for our symbol. I finally decided to just wait until I was at the airport to pick something, I figured what has the highest concentration of City Kitsch than the airport?
So departure day arrives, and I am at the airport, and again surrounded by Ohio State Buckeye stuff, still trying to find something I think really says "our town" Columbus, when I see these stufties in the bin, and initially walk by, with a bit of a huff. "oh look...more buckeyes" and continue my wondering around the Hudson News shop. I wonder back by again and I notice this little guy....and he's got three feet and one hand!
In that moment I am instantly transported back to my childhood and the cartoon story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and to the Island of Misfit Toys. If you haven't see the cartoon, the Island of Misfit Toys is where toys that aren't made right or are unloved are sent. It's a very sad place, full of unloved and unwanted toys. Maybe the train had square wheels or the elephant was white with red polka-dots, and so aren't 'normal' toys As I looked at this buckeye, I thought "Oh No! you mussn't go to the Island of Misfit Toys! You are perfect just the way you are and You must come with me and have Adventures and become famous!"
And so Chuck went on his very first Adventure to the 2016 Atlassian Summit to represent all of us here in Columbus Ohio. He had his picture taken with many Attendees, Partners and even Mike Cannon-Brooks and Scott Farquhar! Last year in 2017 @Do Not Use Brought along Charlie Horse for the Dallas AUG and this year we met Dana Jansen's Ellie! There were many more stuftie companions pictured in the feed of the Summit App. Maybe we will have a stuftie AUG at the next Summit.
Chuck can usually be found setting with our event Registration sign and we hope you'll take a selfie or two with him and post to this thread.
Do you ever take a stuftie or other item as a travel companion to events with you? If so tell us about them in the comments
