Bigfoot has been spotted in Idaho.The legendary creature rumored to reside in the forests of the Pacific Northwest is the inspiration behind “In Search of Bigfoot”, the award winning design by Ryan Roghaar in this year’s Idaho Lottery scratch ticket design contest. 

Roghaar, 25 and a junior Mass Communications major at Idaho State University in Pocatello, earns a $1,000 scholarship from the Idaho Lottery for his award winning design. In addition, “In Search of Bigfoot” will be printed as part of the official 2007 Fiscal Year scratch ticket line-up. 

A life-long eastern Idaho native, Roghaar won the second annual state wide contest sponsored by the Idaho Lottery. This year’s contest saw 50 students submit a total of 61 entries from Idaho State University, the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and North Idaho College. The entries were scored by a select panel of graphic and scratch ticket experts who used design, play style, marketability, and creativity as the criteria for judging all the submissions. 

Roghaar, who is a full-time student and a full-time graphic designer, said he got the idea for the ticket from a screen printer friend who is into cryptozoology – the study of legendary creatures. The two are working on organizing this June’s Bigfoot Festival in Pocatello. “I don’t want people to think I’m nuts or anything, but it was a great idea!” said Roghaar on his design. 

Lorentz Stout came to America to see the western landscapes and take an entire semester of Information Design at the University of Idaho as part of an exchange program with the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands. He’ll be going home later this year with an additional $500 cash scholarship from the Idaho Lottery after winning second place in their second annual statewide scratch ticket design contest.

Stout’s winning design was called “Winning Weather”, a game played scratching golden rays of sunlight or silver drops of rain. “It could be good, or, it could be bad. Just like the weather in Moscow and in my home town,” said Stout. “Winning Weather” will be printed as part of the official 2007 Fiscal Year scratch ticket line-up.

Mickey van Zeijl, on the same exchange program as Stout, won $200 and third place for her unique design of “Bees and Honey.” She says her roommate from Great Britain gave her the idea. “It is a cockney rhyming slang,” she explained. “Give me some money, in this type of slang translates into “Bees and Honey,” she said of the clever pun. “Bees and Honey” will also be printed as part of the official 2007 Fiscal Year scratch ticket line-up. 

Also winning was life long Pocatello native and ISU senior Heather Baker, 28, who received $200 for her spring-themed design of “Munny Bunny.” This game will also be included in the 2007 Scratch Ticket line-up.