The 'Jimothy' effect: Seattle raccoon inspires mural, food bank donations
'Jimothy' the Seattle raccoon goes viral
A peculiar little raccoon has taken the internet by storm, and now he's become an unlikely celebrity in Seattle. FOX 13's Lauren Donovan shows how "Jimothy" is winning hearts, and even giving back to the community.
SEATTLE - A peculiar raccoon known as "Jimothy" has become an unlikely internet celebrity, inspiring artwork, a neighborhood mural and thousands of dollars in donations to the Ballard Food Bank.
The raccoon, identified online as having a short spine, first gained attention through neighborhood videos showing him moving through Seattle yards with a distinctive hunched appearance.
"It looks like he was squished up, hunched over," said Matt Anderson of Ballard.
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Who is 'Jimothy'? Why a Seattle raccoon has gone viral
He's small, he's round, and he's gone viral. "Jimothy" the racoon has been spotted in Ballard, and he's amassed millions of views.
Jimothy gains international following
As posts featuring Jimothy began circulating online, Seattle residents started searching through their backyard camera footage in hopes of catching another glimpse of him.
The attention quickly spread beyond the neighborhood.
"Absolutely crazy that it has blown up worldwide," said Rebecca Sorenson, owner of Ballard Clay.
Even the Seattle Mariners joined in on the attention, featuring Jimothy during the team’s popular salmon run last week.
"I thought it was hilarious," recalled local content creator, Mar. "Seeing Jimothy pop up on the big screen and hearing the entire stadium cheer like a celebrity had just walked in was such a fun surprise. The internet made Jimothy famous and Seattle made him a tradition."
Although Jimothy frequently appears on social media, spotting him in person remains difficult. His likeness, however, can now be found painted on a corner in Ballard.
"I said we need our own Jimothy mural," said Sorenson.
The raccoon is depicted hiding behind a garbage can outside Ballard Clay.
"He’s normally hidden right behind our garbage can here, which we thought was the most appropriate place for a raccoon to be," said Sorenson.
Jomithy mural outside Ballard Clay.
Sorenson thinks Jimothy’s unusual appearance fits the neighborhood.
"He’s different, he’s a little bit weird, a little bit funky," she said. "He’s a lot like Ballard."
Artwork raises money for Ballard Food Bank
Jimothy’s internet fame has also generated support for people in need.
Seattle artist Ryan Henry Ward, known as "Henry," created an acrylic painting of the raccoon and auctioned it to benefit the Ballard Food Bank.
The artwork raised roughly $6,500 for the organization. Seeing this also inspired several business giants to match the award-winning bid, among them, Amazon, T-Mobile, Alaska Airlines and Brooks.
"I think Jimothy has come to us at a time where everyone needs something to rally around," said Sorenson.
Viral Seattle raccoon ‘Jimothy’ spotted again
Jimothy — a raccoon with short spine syndrome — has been spotted in Seattle again, after videos of the critter went viral last week.
The Source: Information in this article is from an Amazon press release and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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