The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum will soon begin production of a Dr. Fauci bobblehead. The renowned physician and immunologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 and is one of the nation’s top experts on the coronavirus. So naturally, it was only fitting to put the face of the coronavirus task force in the United States on the face of a bobblehead.
Do we need to flatten the curve? *Dr. Fauci bobblehead nods*
With no sports to watch right now, which usually inspires 75 to 80 percent of their bobbleheads, Phil Sklar, Co-Founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum saw how America has seemed to fall in love with Fauci. Along with requests for the bobblehead and the popularity of other Fauci-themed items, a Fauci bobblehead seemed fitting.
“We’re always thinking of new bobblehead ideas — I’d say a new one every day of the year,” says Sklar.
The Fauci bobblehead features our favorite public health official dressed in a suit demonstrating how we need to “flatten the curve.”
For every bobblehead sold, $5 will be donated to the 100 Million Mask Challenge to help provide medical personnel with personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We’ve been inspired by so many stories of people doing good. If we could make masks or PPE or ventilators, we would definitely switch immediately and do that, but the factory that produces the bobbleheads for us only produces bobbleheads,” says Sklar. “So we thought, what can we do to make a difference and also keep our employees working remotely?”
The 100 Million Mask Challenge was a charity that really stuck out to Sklar from the beginning. The charity challenges organizations, groups, and individuals to get masks whether by making them or donating masks they own, in order to provide them to the medical community, which is in great need of them.
For Sklar, there’s also a personal element. “My mom works at Froedtert in the housekeeping area and they have one mask that they can use the whole day,” he explains.
So far, they’ve already sold several thousand Fauci bobbleheads and continue to receive wonderful feedback. People seem excited about receiving their Fauci bobbleheads, in addition to the charity element involved.
“The biggest selling bobblehead that we’ve done was Sister Jean from Loyola, Chicago. She’s a nun who’s now 100 years old and captivated the nation a few years ago during March Madness,” says Sklar. “So it’s sort of ironic that this March and April when we should be getting ready for the NCAA tournament, The Final Four, we’re instead celebrating a heroic doctor.”
As Sklar explained, “We always say bobbleheads are the best honor for somebody.”
