EUGENE, Ore. – Sasquatch stories are legendary--ordinary people claiming they saw a hairy, apelike creature deep in the Pacific Northwest woods. There have been 245 reported sightings in Oregon alone.
Now all of Eugene can join in the mystery. PeaceHealth Rides, Eugene’s bike share system, will release a special Sasquatch-themed bike into the wild on Sun., Sept. 23.
In the coming months, riders can win a prize if they track down the illusive Sasquatch bike, take their photo with it and post their photo on social media with the hashtag #IFoundSasquatch. They just need to show their social post--with hashtag—to a staff member at one of Travel Lane County’s visitor centers: 754 Olive St. in downtown Eugene or 3312 Gateway St. in Springfield.
Additionally, anyone posting on social media with the #IFoundSasquatch hashtag will be entered into a random drawing for a one-year pass to PeaceHealth Rides, enabling the winner to ride free for an hour every day for one year.
“Whether you’re a Bigfoot believer or skeptic, the hunt for Sasquatch is a great opportunity to explore the unique places in Eugene that are represented in the bike’s design,” said Lindsey Hayward, PeaceHealth Rides general manager.
The Sasquatch bike is the first in a planned series of “unicorn” bikes—unique designs that will pop up from time to time in the sea of blue PeaceHealth Rides bikes.
This first unicorn bike was the brainchild of University of Oregon School of Art + Design students, Eric Wilks and Alison Parker. The students collaborated with local designer Laura Walker of G. Liza Design to further refine their work.
Last spring, PeaceHealth Rides partnered with instructor Tom Bonamici’s Product Design 301 course to develop a distinct design that reflected Eugene’s community, bike culture, or health and wellness themes.
A panel of representatives from PeaceHealth Rides partner organizations, including the City of Eugene, PeaceHealth, and University of Oregon, evaluated the students’ work based on cleanliness of design; potential to leverage the design’s promotions opportunities through storytelling on the PeaceHealth Rides’ app and social media; and the design’s fit with the goals of bike share and PeaceHealth Rides’ partner organizations.
“We loved the ‘search for Sasquatch’ theme, the ties to the Northwest, the Eugene scenes incorporated in the design and the social media potential,” said panelist Marcy Marshall, director of strategic communications and engagement for PeaceHealth Oregon network.
PeaceHealth Rides launched on April 19, with 300 bikes, 35 hubs in Eugene and one at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield. The stations are clustered near Eugene’s downtown core, the Whiteaker neighborhood and the University of Oregon campus.
Eugene riders have embraced this environmentally friendly transportation alternative to cars and buses. PeaceHealth Rides recently logged its 100,000th trip.
The price of membership is modest--$1 for 15 minutes, or $15 a month for 60 minutes of ride time per day. Discounts are available for students, faculty and staff at the University of Oregon. Low-income plans also are available.
Riders are strongly encouraged to follow the rules of the road and to always wear a bike helmet.
About PeaceHealth Rides: PeaceHealth Rides offers a healthy, convenient and fun way to explore the community. It is a partnership between the City of Eugene, University of Oregon, Lane Transit District and Social Bicycles by JUMP Bikes, and is sponsored by PeaceHealth. For more information, visit www.peacehealthrides.com or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PeaceHealthRides.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.