For the past several months visitors to Bonney Lake Police Chief Mike Mitchell’s office have been greeted by a large, blue pig with a Seahawks logo painted on the side, wearing a scarf.

“It’s drawn a lot of question,” Mitchell said with a laugh. “I think it would have been invited to several tailgate parties this year.”

But the chief has other plans for the giant plastic porker: He is donating it to Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Mitchell bought the pig, which came with a certificate to have it signed by the entire Seattle Seahawks football team, in May at the fundraiser put on for Mayor Neil Johnson as he was about to begin his cancer treatment. The pig was one of the large items available as part of the auction during the dinner at Swiss Sportsman Club.

The chief said he bought it for $725, mainly as a joke.

“It was a good deal,” he said Thursday in his office.

But because of the NFL Players’ Association strike, the pig sat in his office, unsigned. While it was there, the chief decided the pig had already helped the mayor with his treatment and could probably do even more good.

So instead of keeping it for himself, Mitchell decided to re-donate the pig to a place where it could brighten the day and maybe even raise a little more money.

“I thought, ‘What can I do to continue that streak?'” Mitchell said. “It could help far more children – especially children going through a tough time in their life.”

So Mitchell called Children’s Hospital, where the 2-year-old daughter of his best friend has been receiving treatment for a leukemia and offered it to them.

“It’s just a great organization and they do a lot for kids and families in need,” he said, adding “They were very excited about it.”

Mitchell suggested installing the pig before it was signed and having players come to the hospital to put their John Hancocks on the big, blue boar, but again, because of the strike and the shortened pre-season, that was not possible.

So instead, representatives from the hospital were by this past week to pick up the porker and take it out to Renton to be signed by the Seahawks.

Mitchell said the plan is for the pig to be signed, stay at Children’s for a short time and then be re-auctioned to raise money for the hospital.

Representatives for Children’s said they were excited about getting the pig up to the hospital.

“We are extremely thrilled that Chief Mitchell has chosen to donate the Seattle Seahawks pig to Seattle Children’s,” Eve Kopp, Director of Development at the hospital, said in a statement.

“We are looking forward to having the pig at the hospital for our patients and staff to enjoy, and are currently working on a plan to ensure the pig will have a positive effect on as many of our families as possible,” she said.