The Ballard Food Bank is nearly $273,000 richer because a raccoon with short-spine syndrome went viral and a local muralist picked up a paintbrush.

Seattle artist Ryan "Henry" Ward painted a 24-by-24-inch portrait of Jimothy in mid-July, shortly after the stubby raccoon first spotted near the Ballard Goodwill became an internet sensation. Ward auctioned the piece on Instagram as a fundraiser for the Ballard Food Bank, which he said helped him through some of his hardest times.

Buyer Angela Galdabini won the painting with a bid of $6,543.21. Then the cascade started.

Amazon matched the winning bid and publicly challenged other Seattle-area companies to follow. Ten did: Alaska Airlines, Brooks Running, Microsoft, the Seattle Mariners, the Seattle Kraken, Stanley 1913, Starbucks, T-Mobile, WaFd Bank and Windermere Midtown, contributing a combined $71,975, My Ballard reported. On Friday, Aug. 7, Amazon added another $200,000, pushing the total to nearly $273,000, according to GeekWire.

Kara Hurst, Amazon's chief sustainability officer, said on July 20 when the company announced its initial match that Amazon wanted to help after seeing "a local artist giving back to the Ballard Food Bank, inspired by a little raccoon that's brought so much joy."

The windfall arrives at a critical moment. The Ballard Food Bank purchased a second building at 4810 15th Ave NW on Aug. 4, just 300 feet from its existing location at 1400 NW Leary Way. The organization says demand has grown 300% over the past five years, pushing its current building to nearly double its intended capacity. More than 20,000 people rely on its services each year.

Ward, a prolific muralist known for colorful, whimsical animals on buildings and fences across the region, called Jimothy "the hero we needed" in his original Instagram auction post. He continues to paint Jimothy-inspired work for local nonprofits, with his latest piece raising money for Bloodworks NW.

Jimothy was first spotted July 14 by Kiana Hall near the Ballard Goodwill. Her video went viral, spawning tattoo appointments at Electric Kitten Tattoo, a city proclamation from Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck on July 26 and now a six-figure food bank donation.