The man behind the paws of Gilby — Akron Public Schools’ furry, spotted and adorable mascot — remembers participating a couple of years ago in an event at a local hospital that allows children with serious medical conditions or disabilities to enjoy the Akron Zoo with their families in a relaxed, accessible setting.
Peter George was tired, sweaty and self-pitying inside his 30-pound outfit. Then he looked up.
A child in a wheelchair was approaching.
“That snaps you out of it pretty fast,” he said of that interaction.
The moment represents one of many memories George holds on to after serving as Gilby for more than 25 years. George, who has also operated audio and visuals for school board meetings and local high school sports, is retiring later this month.
A few years after graduating from the University of Akron in 1998, George arrived at Summit FM, which APS owns, as a bright-eyed, eager young employee. He began there as an intern, logging archives, before being hired when a spot opened up. George said he jumped at every kind of opportunity there.
That includes the early days of donning the mascot costume for local parades.
What kept him going in the sometimes-sweltering, canine-like suit was the joy his appearances sparked in kids and the adults who, sometimes literally, guided him through his appearances.
Once, during a Thanksgiving event at a local Barnes & Noble, George counted the minutes until he could take off the suit and shop for his own books — he’s a self-described bookaholic. Those plans were thrown awry when a young student ran up to him.
In a moment of excitement, the little fan knocked his nose off.
Without a snout, he thought: “I guess I’m done being Gilby,” but the girl didn’t care. He stayed in character long enough for her excited hugs, and the event ended shortly after.
“I want … everyone to know that I had a great time doing Gilby,” George said, “… and obviously that’s the goal. And I think most of the time I achieved it.”
Paws changing hands, but Gilby will continue without a hitch
With one paw out the door, what’s next for Gilby? The school district looked a few blocks away to the University of Akron’s campus.
Ella Mitchell, who is pursuing her master’s degree with the goal of teaching high school English, will take over for George. She currently moonlights as one of several students who serve as Zippy, the university’s mascot. She started donning Gilby’s spotted head in October.
“Peter is a very sweet and passionate person, and he was a really great person to fill the role of Gilby,” Mitchell said.
While she didn’t need much in the way of guidance, she did take to heart some of his advice: Have fun and put yourself first — especially if the costume gets too hot.
“You want to go above and beyond, you know, deliver the best performance you can,” Mitchell said. “But if you’re not feeling good, you gotta sit down, because no one wants to see Gilby passed out on the floor.”
Up next? Home projects, but never say never for a Gilby guest spot
Now, with retirement and plenty of home projects to finally finish on the horizon, George said he’s thankful for the opportunity to play the role of Gilby. He’s racked up too many fond memories to count, but one that will stick with him for a while is the public recognition he received at a recent school board meeting.
That recognition and the people who have thanked him privately confirmed for him one of the delights of his work.
“It’s all the people, isn’t it?” George asked rhetorically. “It’s all the people … because we went through so many good times.”
While he’s retiring at the end of December, George said he would always answer the call to reprise Gilby at the hospital.
Said George: “I would never say no to [that] because, you know, you look at that and you know how lucky you are.”