Hundreds of teal flamingos placed in Symphony Park to raise awareness for ovarian cancer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The inaugural ‘Flock The Yard’ display is currently set up at Symphony Park next to the SouthPark Mall in south Charlotte. Hundreds of plastic, teal flamingos have been placed in a fenced-in section of the park. The purpose of the display is to raise awareness for ovarian cancer.

The initiative is a collaborative effort from Teal Diva Ovarian Cancer Support Network, Teal Butterfly Ovarian Cancer Awareness, and Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute.

Shannon Routh, the founder of Teal Diva, spoke to WBTV in a Zoom interview about Flock The Yard.

“Most of (the flamingos) are named in honor of a loved one or a doctor or simply saying thank you to a nurse, or honoring someone that’s passed away, or someone that’s battling currently,” explained Routh.

She said the idea behind the display is that it will grab the attention of people passing by and make them aware of ovarian cancer.

“When I was diagnosed, there were no community events and I feel like it was so important for me to be able to relate to someone else and so to see your color bringing attention to the community and something that you can go out and get involved in and potentially meet other survivors or other families dealing with this,” said Routh. It creates a community of connection and just allows people to be able to talk about their cancer and create awareness, especially for those who may have lost someone for this."

She said the proceeds from the event go to Carolina’s Ovarian Cancer Fund to help support ovarian cancer research being done at the Levine Cancer Institute. Routh said the goal is to fill the yard with 1,000 teal flamingos.

“It’s really beautiful and impactful. It’s awesome and I love it,” said Routh.

The display will be up until Sunday, September 13.

It costs $20 to sponsor a flamingo. Anyone interested in sponsoring a bird can visit, www.tealflock.com.

Copyright 2020 WBTV. All rights reserved.