OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For the past year, Omaha has a resident troll. Living under the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omar the Troll has been inviting people to the city with his blue hair and pointy ears.
“He represents the best in all travelers, people who are welcoming, people who are open to new ideas, new people, new experiences. That’s what Omar is all about,” Jasmyn Goodwin, Visit Omaha Vice President of Marketing and Communications said.
Now, Omar will be able to welcome even more people since he learned Spanish. Omar is bilingual. Visit Omaha wanted the troll to be even more friendly and include more people in his interactions.
“The biggest goal was to make sure that Omar is relatable and approachable to everyone that’s coming to visit the city and everyone that lives in the city. He really is our bluest and our kindest resident,” Goodwin says.
Visit Omaha has wanted to incorporate another language into Omar’s videos but didn’t know exactly how, until they partnered with the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee. Students all across the city’s high schools worked on the project.
“They went and did all this research to find out all the different languages that are spoken throughout the city in the schools and they came to us with a whole presentation and said we highly recommend you put Omar in Spanish,” Goodwin says.
The students did a majority of the translations and once it was double checked by Visit Omaha, Omar's new knowledge was implemented.
Since Omar made Bob his home, his interactive videos have been viewed over 5,000 times, and with his newest skill set, Goodwin is hoping that number goes up.
Miranda Stanga, who visited the bridge, says the new addition is not only great for the Spanish speaking community but for those who want to learn as well.
“Anybody who’s also learning Spanish as well that’s something that could help them out with the language,” Stanga says.
To speak with Omar all you need is your phone. When you find a QR code along the bridge, scan it with your camera app and click the pop up link.
