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Macomb resident Steve Clements and his grandchildren Leah and Jonah Erude posed with WIU's Col. Rock III recently.
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Jonah and Leah Erude
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Rocky on Parade Becomes Scavenger Hunt

July 22, 2016

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MACOMB, IL – What began as a stop during a family vacation quickly turned into a Rocky-themed scavenger hunt for Jonah and Leah Erude. The brother and sister have taken an interest in the 36 Rocky on Parade statues placed around Macomb and with the help of their grandfather, Steve Clements, of Macomb, they were able to eventually locate and snap a picture with each one.

Clements, a 1980 Western Illinois University graduate, said it all started when he asked Jonah, 3, to run errands with him. They were walking into MidAmerica National Bank when Jonah saw the Rocky statue out front and got scared. Clements said Jonah wouldn't go inside because he didn't want to get close to the statue. However, after some convincing Jonah decided he wanted to touch Rocky and not long after, Jonah wanted his picture taken with the statue.

When Clements and Jonah returned home, they asked Jonah's sister Leah, 6, if she wanted to go look for more Rocky statues.

Clements then downloaded the statue map at wiu.edu/RockyonParade and the three of them spent the day on a scavenger hunt looking for the statues around town. They ended the day after finding and capturing photos of 21 statues.

A few days later Jonah, Leah, and two of their cousins from Pekin (IL), Isla and Moira Clements, asked if they could go find more Rocky statues. They drove around Macomb and found seven more statues before calling it a day.

Jonah, Leah, and Grandpa Steve later located the remaining eight statues, meaning they had found all 36 statues in Macomb. The only one the group didn't get to photograph is on the WIU campus in the Quad Cities.

Jonah and Leah live in Shawnee (KS) with their parents Lindy and Felix Erude. They were back visiting their grandparents Steve and Sherrie Clements, of Macomb, when they went on the hunt for the Rocky on Parade statues.

Jonah said his favorite statue was the one by Sports Corner because it hangs on the side of the building. Leah said her favorite statue was "one with flowers on it." Both kids also liked the turquoise statue on Adams Street and the one at the Macomb Country Club wearing a necklace made of golf balls.

"This was a learning experience for the kids. Not only did they get to spend quality time with their grandpa, but they made a decision and stuck to it until it was finished," said Sherrie Clements, a 1984 WIU graduate. "Jonah also got over his fear of the statues."

Steve Clements said throughout this journey, he grew an appreciation for the artists who designed the statues and the time they put into the paintings.

"It had to have taken a lot of time but they all turned out great," he said.

To learn more about the Rocky on Parade statues, visit wiu.edu/vpaps/rocky_on_parade/index.php.

Posted By: Katie Hopping (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing