TAMPA, Fla. — Out of more than 65,000 entries, Phoebe is the winning name for Tampa International Airport’s famous flamingo sculpture.
J. Bryan M., 63, a retired educator from Daytona Beach Shores, suggested the winning name for the sculpture, titled “HOME.”
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Officials said several people suggested Phoebe, but they thought his entry had the strongest explanation.
“A play on Phoenicopterus - the flamingo’s scientific name ‘Phoebe’ is also a playful alliterative to flamingo and means brilliantly inquisitive,” Bryan wrote. “The overall ‘Home’ sculpture is literally brilliant and reveals the flamingo’s inquisitiveness as it hunts for food in the shallows.”
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People cast more than 37,000 votes on the Name the Flamingo contest website. Phoebe received 16,122 votes with Cora coming in a close second at 14,341 votes. Finn finished in third place with 6,779 votes.
For winning the contest, Bryan will receive a prize package including four roundtrip tickets from Silver Airways, and a VIP Experience package to Busch Gardens.
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