York merchant group fundraising to benefit creek

Beaver Street is living up to its name this month.

The Shops on North Beaver Street in downtown York are embracing their location for the Beaver Creek Project, a fundraiser for the Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna and their efforts to protect the Codorus Creek.

The merchants ordered cement lawn ornament beavers to be decorated by local artists for a benefit auction. Eight locations participated and completed works were unveiled in shop windows Aug. 7 at First Friday festivities.

"Each merchant was responsible for securing an artist to decorate their beaver," said Meagan Feeser, marketing director at Downtown Inc.

Most are painted and some have recognizable works of art painted on them, she said. Some have store themes: the Camera Center's beaver is holding a camera and the animal at Kimman's has eyelashes, painted nails and is wearing an apron from the shop.

The beavers will be auctioned at an event 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29 in the parking lot at the White Rose Bar and Grill, 48 N. Beaver St., York. Proceeds will benefit the Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna.

The group is taking on maintenance of the plants along the banks of the Codorus Creek since the Army Corp of Engineers has agreed to stop spraying the creek banks with herbicide.

The fundraiser is also helping the Shops on North Beaver Street to establish themselves as a group, Feeser said.

"They've been really working together to make Beaver Street a shopping destination," she said, and even have a beaver mascot, named North, a costumed character who appears at events like First Friday.

For a display in advance of the auction next week, the staff at Foster's Flower Shop, 27 N. Beaver St., will be crafting a beaver dam out of driftwood.

"So they're going to put the beavers in their natural habitat for the last week before they make their way to auction," Feeser said.

The auction will also feature Chesapeake fare from local eateries and live music from Mojo Vishnu. Tickets are $25 at eventbrite.com.