Meet Eddy!

Inventive, witty, whimsical, erudite. Asked to help name the new mascot, the employees of Bigfork Valley came up with ideas -- lots of ideas!

It was a hard choice. The new name had to generally appeal to everyone, be easy to say and read, not have alternate spellings that meant something else, and -- most importantly -- be child-friendly.

The winner was "Eddie [on the Edge]," submitted by Lynn Marthaler of the Pharmacy. The committee chose an alternate spelling of the name, Eddy.

Other finalists included Spirit, Sky, Doc, Winglet and Ari. Some of the names were derived from "eagle" or related terms in other languages, including Norwegian and Ojibwe.

Who is Eddy? Eddy is a young eagle that embodies both the dynamic spirit of Bigfork Valley as it grows into the future, and its roots in the northern wild country of Minnesota. His friendly appearance reflects his interest in everyone he meets, from children to elders.

"Eddy is a perfect mascot for Bigfork Valley," said CEO Dan Odegaard. "An eagle with its great vision, strength, agility and ability to soar to great heights represents what we are striving to become and also reflects how we are flying above the landscape of the future of rural health care.

"We especially want to thank Restorative Tech Vince Holsman who first envisioned Eddy," Odegaard added, "and knew how a mascot could make a personal connection for an organization like ours."

Eddy's first public appearance outside the hospital was in the homecoming parade and pepfest at Bigfork High School in October. Watch for Eddy at other local events! For more information, contact Community and Public Relations at Bigfork Valley, (218) 743-4249.