The Grinch has gone from trash to treasure, thanks to longtime Tucker resident Sherry Cross.
Fifteen years ago, Cross’ teenage daughter found a homemade wooden Grinch sitting on a trash pile on Midvale Road and brought it home.
“We were wondering what we could do with it that would be fun, and the tradition started – surprising people by putting it at their door or garage and having them pass it onto the next person,” Cross said.
Cross also had another idea: to track the annual travels of the Tucker Grinch. She attached a poem with instructions on how to pass on the Grinch and when and where it needed to be returned.
She included a grease pencil and a laminated card on the backside of the Grinch and asked people to record their names so she could see his reach each season.
“It averages about 15 to 20 stops each year before it’s returned to our house,” she said. “I loved reading about who got to see him and seeing him with the kids and the trees. It was just such an organic, joyful tradition.”
With the creation of Facebook, the Tucker Grinch joined the digital platform. About 10 years ago, Cross created a Facebook group and asked people who were gifted with the Grinch to post a picture of his visit.
Over the past 15 years, the Grinch has been faithfully returned to the Cross household – until one year, when he didn’t make his New Year’s appearance.
“We were so sad. We just knew he wasn’t coming back,” she said. “Then one day, in the summer, it appeared at our house with a note that said it had been sitting in the person’s garage for months.”
Every year, Cross releases the Grinch around Thanksgiving, usually delivering him to someone she knows. Noah Moseley-Palmer’s house was the first stop last weekend. His mother, Stacy, said her five-year-old is a big fan of the furry green curmudgeon.
“We knew it was coming, but he didn’t,” Palmer said. “It was so fun to see him with it. We read the poem, played with him and passed him on in less than 24 hours.”
Over the years, the Tucker Grinch has become a bit rough around the edges. He recently got a touch-up paint job and a refresh on his furry collar and hat before leaving on his journey.
“The whole experience is just delightful,” Cross said. “It’s just so great to know that people really want the Grinch to come to their house.”
