Jimothy, a wild Seattle raccoon with a short spine, has quickly become an internet favorite.
Known for his unusually round appearance that may be caused by a rare congenital spinal condition, Jimothy has captured the attention of people around the world.
Although he looks different from other raccoons, he is healthy and mobile by all accounts, roaming Seattle neighborhoods and filling up social media feeds.
Jimothy’s popularity has grown in the last week, inspiring a Google search animation, a new World of Warcraft NPC, and his own Dungeons & Dragons “stat block.”
Seattle artist Ryan Henry Ward decided to channel the excitement into something that could have a real-world impact.
On July 18, Ward shared a photo of an original painting he made of Jimothy, in the hopes of auctioning it off for charity.
“Jimothy. The hero we needed,” Ward wrote in the photo’s caption. “I've decided to give 100% of the money made from this painting to Ballard Food Bank, a place that helped me through some of my hardest times.”
Ballard Food Bank has been feeding Seattle since the 1970s. Today, the organization operates a unique “grocery store” model that allows people in need to “shop” for free produce, canned goods, hygiene products, and pet food.
Ward invited people to submit bids through social media, promising that the highest bidder would win the artwork.
The auction concluded with a winning bid of $6,543.21 from local Angela Galdabini. True to his word, Ward donated the amount to the Ballard Food Bank within 24 hours, sharing a receipt on his social media.
“Thanks to an awesome auction winner and to the power of community and in gratitude to Jimothy, Ballard Food Bank has received their donation and the world is a little better,” Ward said.
The campaign attracted widespread interest beyond the community. Amazon was the first brand to join the conversation by announcing that it would match the winning bid. It tagged other companies based in the Pacific Northwest as well, encouraging them to jump aboard.
“Count us in on supporting Ballard Food Bank with a donation match!” Starbucks commented.
“We could never turn down supporting Jimothy and the Ballard Food Bank!” T-Mobile responded. “Count us in!”
“Sounds like a home run!” The Mariners said.
“We can’t issue Jimothy a boarding pass,” Alaska Airlines wrote, “but we’re always happy to support our community. Count us in for matching the donation.”
On July 23, Ward informed Good Good Good that the amount was well over $50,000.
Then, on July 24, Gypsy Walukones, the senior communications manager for Ballard Food Bank, confirmed that the current total was over $58,000 from company pledges alone.
“So far, we’ve had pledges from Amazon, T-Mobile, Alaska Airlines, Brooks Running, Starbucks, Stanley, Microsoft, and the Seattle Mariners to match the donation, and some of those funds are starting to come through,” Walukones told Good Good Good. “If they all match the $6,543.21 exactly, we’re looking at over $58,000.”
Walukones also said that the majority of incoming donations are from individuals.
“Some donors commented that they knew they wouldn’t have the winning bid but wanted to give what they can,” she said. “One thing I love about the Ballard Food Bank community is the way we really are all in this together. So many of our neighbors might come in for food one week and bring in a few dollars to donate the next, or volunteer here regularly, or pick up trash in the neighborhood. It takes all of us!”
For Ballard Food Bank, the donations couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We serve over 10,500 households each month and the need in our community continues to grow rapidly,” Walukones stressed. “With these gifts, we’re able to share nutritious groceries, hygiene supplies, pet food, freshly prepared meals in our Kindness Café (an average of 1,000 per day!), and financial assistance for rent and utilities to help keep our neighbors in their homes.”
“Above all, Ballard Food Bank is about human — and yes, animal — connections,” she added. “We are so grateful for Henry’s generosity, this wave of giving, and the caring community that surrounds both us and Jimothy!”
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Featured Image: Kiana Hall/Wikimedia Commons (Fair Use)
