| One of Seattle, Washington’s most popular landmarks is a giant bronze piggy bank. Rachel the Pig, as she is affectionately known, stands proud at the entrance of the Pike Place Market, a large open-air community market place bustling with people, flying fish, food stands, and eclectic shops.
Rachel made her piggy bank debut at the Market in 1986. Sculpted by Washington artist Georgia Gerber, the piggy bank is fashioned in the likeness of a real-life pig, a 750 pound pig named, of course, Rachel. The piggy bank weighs a bit less than the muse, scaling in at about 550 pounds. Next to the piggy bank, you will see a hoof print of the real Rachel, as well as a path of hoof prints leading toward and away from the piggy bank at the Market’s information booth.
The idea for the piggy bank was first envisioned by the Pike Place Market Board, who thought that a large piggy bank would be a great way to collect money to support the Market Foundation. This foundation is responsible for funding various social services including a pre-school, food bank, and a senior center. A contest for designs was held, and about 40 piggy banks were submitted. Rachel was the winner and has been active in her piggy bank duties ever since.
Today you will find Rachel the Pig in various tourist guides and maps. The bronze piggy bank is emptied every few days in the summer and about once a week in the winter. To date she has brought in about $100,000.00 for the Market Foundation. International coins as well as US coins are consistently deposited. The foreign coins that cannot be exchanged are given to the markets pre-school for the kids to use in their ‘play store’.
Unfortunately the real-life Rachel passed away in 1992. Yet she remains memorialized in bronze and continues to leave her mark on the hearts of piggy bank lovers across the world.
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