Herald-Sun editorial: Week’s end

It was sure fun while it lasted.

The painted cows of the North Carolina CowParade graced Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh for the past few months, and are now heading to greener pastures. The fiberglass cows, painted in amazing color and style by participating artists, are being rounded up for an upcoming auction that will benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital.

Most of the cows will be moved to the Golden Belt studio space in preparation for the Feb. 2 auction at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Some of the cows have been pre-purchased by sponsors.

Unfortunately, two of the cows were damaged by vandals, and another was briefly taken from its Durham location. That’s highly unfortunate, but shouldn’t detract from a wonderful combined public art spectacle and fundraiser.

Between $250,000 and $300,000 is expected to be raised at the auction. That’s a lot of moo-lah.

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Sometimes, you just have to be bold.

Santa took a Duke Life Flight helicopter this week to the Masonic Home for Children orphanage in Oxford, delivering good cheer and, of course, gifts galore. The participants have earned this week’s Herald-Sun Grit Award.

It was a “Santa Drop” that was tried for the first time from the Duke helicopter operation. The role of Santa was played by Chris Hoffman, an emergency medical technician at Duke, and the idea for the Santa Drop came from Jim Starlin, program specialist in the hospital trauma department. Hoffman is an experienced Santa with his own costume. “When I was a fireman in New Jersey, I filled in one day played playing Santa and I just loved it,” Hoffman said. “To see the expressions on kids’ faces, to see the excitement on their faces and the joy it brings them makes it more than priceless. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

The kids were surprised to see Santa arrive in such dramatic fashion.

A special delivery – very special.