A man who hails from the Launching Pad Drive-In’s home base of Wilmington, Illinois, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to save its Gemini Giant fiberglass giant from possible destruction by its owner.
The closed Route 66 restaurant’s owner, Holly Barker, said on Twitter a few days ago she was putting the Gemini Giant up for sale on March 20 for $100,000. If it doesn’t sell, she said she would destroy the fiberglass figure, citing idolatry.
9:11 am Sat Feb 24, 2024.
— Holly Barker (@HollyBarker1372) February 24, 2024
It is written. It is spoken. The Will of God will not be stopped. Time is of the essence. IJN, Amen. pic.twitter.com/LmvZPwUxsV
In response, Ryan Jandera of Wilmington started the GoFundMe campaign to save the unique, 30-foot-tall Muffler Man. He has set a goal of $100,000.
“It is my goal to raise enough money to purchase the statue and move it to a safe location along RT 66 in its hometown of Wilmington, IL,” Jandera stated.
Jandera talked to the Fox 32 television station in Chicago about his quest:
“Once I found out that there was a chance that someone wanted to take the statue or demolish it, I knew that someone had to try to save it,” said Jandura. […]
“It’s not just that it’s a statue. It’s the statue that stood the test of time,” Jandura said. “It’s part of my history. Now it’s part of my family’s history. It’s part of this community’s history, and you know, yeah, you could buy a replica and put it up but it’s not the same.”
If his campaign doesn’t work, Jandera said he would return all the donations.
A second Gemini Giant fundraiser exists on GoFundMe by an anonymous person who has set a goal of $1.4 million to buy not only the statue but the restaurant itself. As of this writing, no one has donated to that campaign.
Barker’s threatened destruction of the Gemini Giant is another escalation of her erratic behavior. She also threatened to kill her former business partner, Tully Garrett, in a Twitter post in January. Her Twitter posts often alternate between Bible readings and conspiracy theories.
She also littered memorabilia and restaurant equipment all over the Launching Pad’s parking lot a few weeks ago, prompting a citation from local police.
The Joliet Area Historical Museum late last year wanted to buy the restaurant — one media outlet reporting for $420,000 — and turn it into a Route 66 welcome center. The museum also offered $150,000 for the Gemini Giant.
Barker and Garrett purchased the closed restaurant in 2017 and reopened it about 18 months later. Garrett no longer is involved with the venture.
The Launching Pad and Gemini Giant were inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2000. Both long have been one of the biggest photo opportunities for Route 66 travelers.
John and Bernice Korelc opened a Dairy Delite at the site in 1960. It was renamed the Launching Pad after an expansion in 1965. The Gemini Giant landed there in 1965 after John Korelc saw a Muffler Man during a restaurant convention. John Korelc retired in 1986.
Morey Szczecin bought the property in 2007 after longtime owners Jerry and Sharon Gatties retired. But the restaurant struggled financially and closed in 2010 until Barker and Garrett emerged as buyers.
(Image of the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, Illinois, in 2012 by Sam Johnson via Flickr)
It’s a shame she’s gone bat$hit crazy. They had a good thing going but it’s obvious why the wheels fell off the bus and he left.
What sort of person sees “idolatry” in this figure of a fictional man? Perhaps Holly Barker wants to see the Statue of Liberty detroyed because it ‘idolises liberty’. A strange woman. As for “the will of God”, well, that says it all.
So the price of her virtue is $100,000!
Nutty woman….this is why dogs are better than most people.
She’s having a rough time. Have some compassion.
As for GG, he’s just a muffler man with a practice bomb and something like a trash can over his head. Replacement cost might be ~$50k.