DeKalb, Sycamore and NIU have joined together to decorate the community in Huskie spirit.

“‘Huskies on Parade’ is an event that the university and community had been thinking about doing in the past, thinking about Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” or the public art displays in Naperville,” said Becky Harlow, assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development at NIU.

The idea for a “communiversity” project originated in the recent past.

“It came about two years ago when we were working on stuff for the DeKalb Centennial and NIU homecoming,” said Donna Johnson, chairperson of Huskies on Parade. “We decided we liked working together with the university and it worked out well to share this project and do more things together.”

After the last school year, many thought it would be a great way to welcome students back to the community.

“With the events of 2/14, it was clear that this year needed to be the year it happened,” Harlow said. “It was the perfect way to articulate the message ‘We are all Huskies.'”

Huskies on Parade is open to anyone who would like to sponsor and design a Huskie.

“Anyone can participate in designing a Huskie, from businesses to not-for-profit organizations, to student groups to individuals,” Harlow said.

Sponsors decide where to place their 40-inch Huskie dog and how to design that statue and the 20-inch Huskie pup after they are approved by the committee.

“Designs must be approved by the Huskies on Parade committee in advance so as to ensure that each design encompasses the mission of the project,” Harlow said.

The sponsors do not necessarily have to design the Huskie themselves. Many bring in artists to do the work.

“The first I had heard about the Huskies on Parade project was when I was first contacted to submit a design for the project,” said Jake Aust, a sophomore art education and English major. “Someone from the Youth Services Bureau (YSB) contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in submitting a design to be chosen, among others, to represent the YSB in the best way for the Huskies on Parade project,” Aust said.

Huskies on Parade will not be on display year-around.

“Huskies will be on display until October 18, when they will be paraded through DeKalb as part of the NIU Homecoming Parade,” Harlow said. “Currently there are 50 to 60 Huskies on display throughout the community.”

Over homecoming weekend, there will be an auction of the donated Huskie pups, with all proceeds going to the Feb. 14 Student Scholarship Fund, according to the Huskies on Parade’s Web site.

Sponsors get to decide how long to display the dogs.

“Some of the sponsors are going to take them down for the winter,” Johnson said. “We hope you will see them again in the spring to be part of the community again.”