Visitors to one of the main entrances to Pike Place Market at Pike St and Pike Place will notice a life-size bronze pig statue and also a piggy bank that greets folks as they are coming or going from Pike Place Market. This statue, titled
Rachel, was created as a fundraiser for people in need within the City of Seattle. The
Pike Place Market Foundation oversees this cause and there's a nearby plaque next to the pig that says:
The Market Foundation Piggy Bank makes wishes come true ... Your donation supports the Pike Market Clinic, Senior Center, Child Care Center and Downtown Food Bank ... The Market Foundation on behalf of the people of the Market neighborhood, thanks you ... Bank emptied each day.
The AIC description for this statue says:
Bronze piggy-bank standing directly on a sidewalk. The piggy-bank is a life-size, realistic figure of a sow. There is a money slot on the top of the pig's head. Bronze pig hoof prints are embedded in the sidewalk leading up to the sculpture ... Nearby plaque: "Market Foundation Piggy Bank. Made possible by a gift from Fratelli's Ice Cream, August 17, 1986." A second plaque indicates that money deposited in the piggy bank is used to aid local human service agencies.
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This statue was created by Georgia Gerber, a local artist from Whidbey Island. The Pike Place Market Foundation's website has this to say about Rachel the Pig:
Rachel, our life-size bronze piggy bank, is the Market’s most famous resident and also one of its best fundraisers. She has been “bringing home the bacon” since 1986, and has raised nearly $200,000 to date ... On August 17, 2011, Rachel turned 25 years old and was treated to a day of exciting surprises and celebrations, including a mini-Rachel birthday cake and flash mob performance ... Rachel was created by Georgia Gerber, a sculptor from Whidbey Island, Washington. Rachel weighs in at 550 pounds and was named after a real 750-pound pig who won the 1985 Island County Fair ... Legend has it that if you rub Rachel’s snout and make a donation, you’ll have good luck. In that case, Rachel’s brought good luck to visitors from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia and beyond!
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There are also numerous bronze pig hoof prints embedded in the sidewalk all around the pig and they represent the names of donators to the Pike Place Market Foundation. Rachel is a popular stop for parents to take pictures of their kids sitting on her and posing for a shot.
***UPDATE*** I've heard that Rachel, the real-life pig that the bronze statue was created after, recently passed away. If any waymarkers know if this is true (or not), please let me know and I'll update this description.