The Story of Gerry our Giraffe

Have you ever wondered why we have a giraffe in the foyer of our flagship store? Well here is how that came to be…

Not long after our grand opening, our editor and friend, Melanie Crowder, popped into the shop and asked if I liked giraffes. Who doesn’t love a giraffe?! When I told her I liked them she smiled sheepishly and hurried back to her car, returning with the cutest statue of a three foot high giraffe! His sweet face immediately captured all of our hearts as he was lovingly placed in the foyer “to greet” everyone who entered the shop. A few weeks later, a little girl came in and wanted to know his name. Since we hadn’t named him, I responded by asking her what she thought his name should be. She pondered a moment and said, “I think he looks like a Jerry.” For those who know Melanie, you know her husband’s name is Gerry, so without a second thought, we decided to name our giraffe Gerry, with a G.

Gerry had been a part of Melanie’s family for many years, living in several locations before finally resting here in Thomasville, NC. He was discovered in an antique store in Greenville, South Carolina, moved to Cedar Mountain, North Carolina and then on to Brevard, before finally making it to Knoxville, Tennessee. His last journey brought him to Thomasville, where he finally found his permanent home at BL Leather Goods. Gerry, I must say, has settled in quite nicely.

Throughout the year you will find Gerry adorned with appropriate seasonal decorations. His presence in our shop influenced an award we received from one of our clients: The Loyal Order of the Giraffe for “sticking our neck out in unconditional support.” Giraffes are known to have very large hearts and only sleep less than two hours a day. They consume up to one hundred pounds of leaves and twigs daily. On any given BL team member’s birthday, you can find almost the same amount of food in cakes, lunches and various sweets to celebrate our loved ones. And just like the giraffe, we too do not sleep much, as we love our brand and creating products just for you!

Gerry with our signature color bow!

Gerry in our shop at Easter!

Gerry traveling with Gerry back to NC!