Olympia Beer Offers $1M Bigfoot Reward

Olympia Beer out of Washington has offered a $1 million Bigfoot reward for “irrefutable evidence” of the fabled ape’s existence, according to a Wednesday press release.

The project will be a collaboration between Olympia and The Falcon Project research team.

The $1 million reward comes with its share of strings attached. For starters, there won’t be any lump sum payments. Rather, the prize will be handed out in $25,000 increments across a 40-year-span.

Secondly, the “irrefutable evidence” of Bigfoot’s existence must be in line with the contest’s official rules, and the offer is only good for one year, so you’ve only got until next April to solve a mystery that’s stood for close to 200 years.

The legend is such an ingrained part of American history, in fact, that explorer Daniel Boone, who died in 1820, claimed to have killed a creature called a Yahoo during his lifetime.

The Yahoo was described as a “ten-foot, hairy giant” and has served as the basis for many Sasquatch legends in the two centuries that followed, according to Appalachian History.

The Washington-based beer company has served the northwestern United States for close to 120 of those years. “So we know how important Bigfoot is to the people here,” said Olympia and Pabst Brewing Company owners Evan and Daren Metropoulos in a statement.

“In addition to our desire to spur scientific discovery in partnership with The Falcon Project, we’re also simply encouraging people to get outside and have some fun.”

As for those contest rules you have to follow, the gang at Olympia said they would not encourage or condone attempts at capturing the creature.

“Any contest participant that demonstrates intent to harm Bigfoot or any other species will be disqualified from the contest, publicly shamed and referred to law enforcement officials,” the rules state.

Concerning the “irrefutable evidence,” here’s a look at what doesn’t count: “visual proof of footprints, bone fragments, inconclusive skeletal remains, or any other non-definitive evidence of Bigfoot.”

A three-member judging panel comprised of officials from Olympia Beer and The Falcon Project will determine eligibility.

No worries, though. As long as you bring them something conclusive — DNA evidence or “visual proof of a live physical body” — you’re in the clear.

Olympia is also contributing $5,000 to The Falcon Project’s research efforts and a planned remote-controlled airship that will use thermal imaging technology for help in searching the forests of the Northwest for evidence of the creature.

A little more on that here:

http://youtu.be/4gl3H_KGC_8

Ultimately, Olympia and The Falcon Project plan to conduct scientific observations of Bigfoot “and then use the information collected to protect the species and preserve its way of life,” the release stated.

Who knows whether Olympia actually expected to pay the reward money when they made this deal?

But with recent reports of a DNA link between humans and the legendary creature, and a November 2012 close encounter between Utah hikers and the beast, we suppose anything is possible.

Will you take Olympia Beer up on its Bigfoot reward offer?