Naperville Ribfest Asks Students To Help Name New Pig Mascot

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Naperville Ribfest committee is asking local students to name the newly designed pig mascot for the 30th annual fest.

Students from Naperville Unit District 203 and Indian Prairie Unit District 204 can submit possible names for the pig until 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 23. Home-schooled students and students outside the two districts are also welcome to vote and can do so by emailing Pamela Keith at ribfestmascot2017@yahoo.com.

"We thought that would be about the right level of creativity that we're looking for," Exchange Club of Naperville spokeswoman Erin O'Donnell told the Daily Herald, talking about the elementary and middle school-aged kids who are expected to enter. "Kids are so imaginative -- why not tap into that?"

The name chosen will be announced in late May, ahead of the four-day festival June 30 to July 3 at Knoch Park near downtown Naperville.

If the winner is a class of students, the group will receive 30 free tickets good for entry July 1, 2 or 3. If the winner is an individual student, he or she will get two free tickets, also for July 1, 2 or 3. Kids younger than 11 are admitted free those days and can bring an adult guest with them, O'Donnell said.

According to the Daily Herald, Ribfest committee members came up with the mascot idea in February, then got to sketching the smiling, pink piglet with a pear-shaped body clad in blue overalls, a blue Ribfest cap and shiny black sunglasses. O'Donnell said the club sent the sketch to a uniform designer and had a life-size pig suit made so two "mascoteers" can be hired to play the piggy during this year's event.

Naperville Ribfest donates to charities that aim to prevent child abuse and domestic violence.