TAMPA — Bucs’ quarterback Tom Brady is often referred to as the GOAT, meaning the, greatest of all time. So it’s fitting that 55 artificial, life-sized, goats will be auctioned off Super Bowl weekend here in Tampa. Its called Project Goat.
“Goats are empowering women in the poorest parts of India,” said Rob Canton, founder of Project Goat. “A Goat is essentially an ATM in these communities, keeping them from a life of sex or labor trafficking.”
That’s how Canton came up with the Global Offensive Against Trafficking also known as Project Goat. During the months leading up to the Super Bowl, he decided to unleash the horns all over town. Goats, decorated by different artists, were showing up everywhere.
“It really just made a lot of sense because unfortunately Super Bowls and events like them, World Cups and Olympics, they are the types of events that generate a lot of human trafficking,” said Canton.
Ron Francis was one of 55 Bay Area artists to put their own personal touch on these replicas.
“Super Bowl is a big thing, this actual subject matter of human trafficking is the biggest,” said Francis.
Francis chose to make his goat look like a giraffe, an animal with a big heart.
“It represents for me just a lot of love and that’s what’s needed is a lot of love in the subject matter like this,” said Francis.
Canton is now in the process of corralling all these symbolic works of creativity.
They will be part of a large art auction taking place the day before the Super Bowl at Zoo Tampa, with a portion of the proceeds going to Human Trafficking awareness.
“I’m not sure how it exists, or why it exists or why it’s still going on but it does and I believe by awareness and communication we will be able to relinquish that information to the people that don’t know,” said Francis.
It might not be long before we see more of these goats popping up in other cities real soon.
“Our hope is and we’ve already been in communications with our folks in Los Angeles is to do 56 new goats for super bowl 56 next year,” said Francis.
For more information on the Feb. 6 auction go to peacelovegoats.org.
