GRAND RAPIDS — The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids kicked off a fundraising campaign to bring Dorothy’s ruby slippers back.
The slippers were infamously stolen from the museum in 2005 and after nearly two decades of mystery, two arrests were made in the case in the past year.
The movie props are among four remaining original pairs from The Wizard of Oz, worn by actress Judy Garland, who lived in Grand Rapids as a child.
Janie Heitz, executive director of the museum, said this fundraising effort is a bit different since it’s for an auction, so they’ll have to keep their collected totals under wraps.
"It'll be a pretty silent campaign on the dollar amount we've raised, but the public campaign we want people to know about, and we're excited about it and looking for donors," she said.
The State Legislature set aside $100,000 in Legacy Amendment money for buying back the slippers as a way of preserving the state’s heritage. But the shoes are expected to fetch $3 million or more at auction in December.
The museum previously estimated it suffered $87,000 in revenue loss because of lost admission and membership fees in the four years after the burglary. Museum officials also said they lost public trust while insurers appeared to blame the museum for the theft and collectors would not lend memorabilia.
Heitz said bringing the slippers back to the museum is the main focus right now, but they are also thinking ahead about what it will look like if they’re back, including preventing another theft.
"If we get the slippers obviously security will be the number one priority for us," she said. "I think we'll be able to make space for the slippers in our museum as is, with the goal to eventually upgrade our parking lot, potentially have a separate area for the slippers themselves."
She said Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers would provide a draw for tourists while they’re visiting Grand Rapids.
"Just trying to find something unique and different in this area while you're here," Heitz said.
