I am so proud of my friend, Julie Allen. She wrote a children’s book featuring our college mascot! The book is fantastic! It is a must have for teaching team work!! I called her tonight and left a message telling her again how proud I am of her! This woman is incredible. She has so much energy and she is so incredibly giving to everyone! She is an angel.
http://www.bigredspirit.com/news_press.cgi
http://www.wkuherald.com/media/paper603/news/2005/09/29/News/Literature.Al
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Literature: Alumna’s book featuring Big Red debuts today
By: By Kelly Richardson
Issue date: 9/29/05 Section: News
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Big Red is the star of the sidelines at Western athletic games. Now the furry red mascot will be the main character of a new line of children’s books.
A Western alumna has started a company to create and sell a line of children’s books and products featuring Big Red.
Julie Hannah-Allen’s first book, two holiday cards and two bookmarks are debuting at 4:30 p.m. today in the Hall of Champions at Diddle Arena.
The Big Red Spirit merchandise will be available tomorrow at the University Bookstore, Werner-Lowe, Barnes & Noble in Bowling Green and bigredspirit.com.
The first book, “Go Team!,” deals with teamwork and helping friends. The book introduces four children as Big Red’s friends.
President Gary Ransdell helped create Big Red 26 years ago. He said he liked that Big Red has a national persona.
“These books take Big Red into a new dimension,” he said.
Ransdell said he liked Big Red’s high moral values in the books. He said he’s looking forward to adding the book to his “unofficial, informal Big Red Hall of Fame” in his office.
“I look forward to seeing future books and who knows, maybe movies and a Saturday morning cartoon show,” he said.
Hannah-Allen started working on her company, SPIRIT, LCC, a year and a half ago. It had been her dream for 15 years to write children’s books, Hannah-Allen said.
Her 3-year-old twin sons, Joshua and Jacob, inspired her to write her new books because of their excitement when they were around Big Red, she said.
Hannah-Allen said she likes Big Red because he doesn’t have a race, gender or socioeconomic status.
“You can make Big Red anything you want Big Red to be,” she said.
Hannah-Allen’s next book will be for the alumni office’s Legacy Program. The program is for children of alumni who receive Western-themed gifts until they’re 18.
Western is finalizing a partnership with SPIRIT, LLC for the book, a birthday card, a growth chart, the logo for the Legacy Program and car decal, said Ginny Hensley, the associate director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.
Hensley said she likes the partnership because of ties Hannah-Allen and her business partner, Tim Earnhart, have to Western.
“They love Western; they want to see us grow,” Hensley said.
Hannah-Allen graduated in 1993 with a degree in corporate and organizational communications. She was a Spirit Master for two years and a member of Kappa Delta sorority and the Student Government Association.