Building on a Strong Foundation

“Hi, I’m Rachel the Piggy Bank, the mascot of the Pike Place Market Foundation and the biggest PIG-lanthropist in town! Since 1986, shoppers have stuffed me full of coins and bills from around the world to fund vital services in the Market such as a food bank, senior center, preschool, medical clinic, and more. Donate and rub my nose for good luck!

Rachel the Piggy Bank gets her name and look from a real, prize-winning pig named Rachel – a 770-pound behemoth and the 1985 prizewinning pig at the Island County Fair.”

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Learn More About This Time in Pike Place Market History

A key aspect of Pike Place Market’s history is the building, maintaining, and promoting community. The addition of low-income housing and social services within the Market differentiates it from any other market across the country and the Pike Place Market Foundation was founded in 1982 to keep the community in and around the Market stable and strong.

The need for a Market Foundation started in the early 1980s when, under Ronald Reagan’s presidency, funding for social services was cut nationwide. Overnight, the newly established Pike Place Medical Clinic lost half of its operating budget, and the Pike Market Child Care & Preschool received notice that its grant for the construction of its playground had been canceled, halting the Preschool’s opening. The loss of this funding put both of these vital services at risk of closure.

In 1982, Pike Place Market PDA staff and supporters responded, and Pike Place Market Foundation was born. The Market Foundation was established to provide consistent, unrestricted funding, enabling Market partners to sustain their operations year after year and enhance services within the Market community.

Today, these Legacy Partner agencies in Pike Place Market include:

A Hog Wild History

To help raise money for the social service agencies in the Market, Rachel the Piggy Bank was installed in 1986 as the mascot and public fundraiser to further the Market Foundation’s mission and connect with the millions of visitors to the Market.

In 2011, Rachel the Piggy Bank was done “hogging” the spotlight and was joined by her cousin, Billie the Piggy Bank. Each year, Rachel and Billie collect $20,000 in coins and bills from around the world! Over the course of their lifetimes, they’ve raised more than $350,000 to support social service agencies in the Market.

A Model for a Healthy Community

To meet the needs of the Market community, the Market Foundation expanded its programs and services through The Market Commons—a community resource center that opened in 2017 as part of the MarketFront expansion. This new initiative in the Market Foundation’s program offerings was created to support Pike Place Market residents, workers, and merchants when faced with personal challenges related to housing, health, and basic needs.

The Market Commons program staff work closely with the community to address their needs by promoting and improving access to healthcare navigation, nutritious food, economic stability, and more. Services and programs include, a Food Access Program, the Market Community Safety Net, a Small Business Fund, and the Pike Place Market Secret Garden.

With the support of the Pike Place Market Foundation’s staff, service partners, volunteers, and donors, Pike Place Market Foundation aims to nurture a healthy Pike Place Market community through the wide array of programs and services offered in the Market.

We invite you to be part of helping the Market community thrive by donating in the Market’s piggy banks, writing your name on a bronze hoofprint, or supporting in

Learn more: PikePlaceMarketFoundation.org