Sunny the Seagull, a stuffed animal, sweeps the nation
WILDWOOD, N.J. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A stuffed seagull is creating quite a stir along the Jersey Shore and far beyond. A game prize that exploded in popularity last summer is back with an expanded family, and unlike real seagulls, they're not ruffling any feathers.
Seagulls a flying fixture of the Jersey Shore. But for many people, when it comes to seagulls and their affinity for stealing food, it's a love-hate relationship.
"The seagull is such a staple on the boardwalk. Everybody's always running from them," said Colleen O'leary, a boardwalk visitor.
Sunny the Seagull loves fries too, but he won't swipe yours.
"We love him. We've been trying to get them since last year," said Miranda Eddis, another boardwalk visitor.
Origins
When Morey's Piers in the Wildwoods debuted the plushy version of its mascot last summer as a game prize, Sunny's popularity soared beyond all expectations.
The inspiration actually came from this guy, Games Manager Anthony Sinnerard's son, Anthony Sinnerard Jr.
"I like plushies and I thought everyone would like a seagull plushy," Anthony Jr. expressed.
Anthony Jr. would be proven right.
"I follow a few of the fan pages on Facebook and people go crazy over them," Eddis shared.
He's even on eBay. Along the boardwalk, there are Sunny copycats, with a number of knock-offs sold in stores.
In-demand
New for this year, Sunny with a slice of pepperoni pizza in his mouth. And there's also Sandy, a female seagull.
"Other parks reached out to us and said, 'Hey, can we can we get in on this?'" said Denise Beckson, Vice President of Morey's Piers.
Sunny is now a hot prize on other local boardwalks and all across the country. He's even in-demand at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California.
"People want it. People ask for it. People spend a lot of money to try to win it," said Omid Aminifard of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The Morey's Organization did not a design patent for the original Sunny because they had no idea how popular he would be. The newer versions, though, cannot be copied.
"My sister in law wants one. She's willing to pay for it too," O'leary remarked.
Morey's says another Sunny surprise will land in the Wildwoods next month, but won't yet reveal more about what's next for this seagull sensation.
