Irma partially decapitated her, but her famous butt crack is A-OK
She lost part of her head no thanks to Hurricane Irma but she has many fans who are looking out for her.
They hope to reunite the Coppertone Girl with her missing blond coif. At least her tan line and doggie weathered the storm.
On Facebook, the MiMo Biscayne Association, which owns the sign, has sent out a plea for help.
“Our wonderful Coppertone Girl has suffered damage from Irma. If anyone has news of the whereabouts of the panel blown from the top of her head please let us know on this FB page and we will contact you.”
More than a month after the storm, the top of the girl's head burns brighter, with exposed light bulbs.
The Coppertone Girl has been a fixture in Miami for decades.
First, the “Tan don't burn” sign hung on the north side of the now-demolished Parkleigh building in downtown Miami from 1959 to 1991. The sign, donated to Dade Heritage Trust, was in storage until it was hung on the Concord building on Flagler Street near the Miami courthouse in 1995.
The sign was restored for its move north to the MiMo historic district on Northeast 73rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard in 2008. The image, on the building’s north side, has also been the subject of art exhibits that help tell Miami’s story.
More: Read about the adman who gave birth to the ‘Coppertone Cutie’
Debby Stander, president of the MiMo Biscayne Association, has reached out to ACUSigns, which handles repairs and maintenance on the Coppertone Girl, and hopes the original piece can be found so it can be reattached. The sign is insured, she said.
“We are hoping — though it’s a long shot — that the panel will turn up in someone’s back yard and will miraculously be identified and returned. If that does not happen then we will hopefully be able to faithfully replicate and reinstall the missing panel,” Stander said.
“We all cherish this wonderful, historic Miami icon.”
Howard Cohen: 305-376-3619, @HowardCohen
This story was originally published September 14, 2017 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Irma partially decapitated her, but her famous butt crack is A-OK."