KALONA, Iowa, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The naming rights to a creek in Kalona, Iowa, will be put up for bid on Internet auction Web site eBay, town officials said.
The creek is currently called West Drainage Ditch but most people in town refer to it simply as "the crick," the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported Wednesday.
The idea was hatched by Dan Ehl, editor of the Kalona News, as a way to raise money for the city.
"I was just thinking about ways to give it a name," Ehl told the Press-Citizen. "I know that ... one woman put her baby's name up for bid on eBay and now the kid's got a name of a casino. I'm just thinking there might be somebody playing golf in California who will say, 'Oh, by the way, I have a creek in Kalona named after me.'"
City council members said they will consider any name as long as it's appropriate -- the name will be subject to government approval.
Funds from the winning bid will go toward replacing sidewalks to provide better access to schools, parks and areas that children frequent as part of the city's Safe Route To Schools project.
"It's a neat idea, and something communities can look to as a way to maximize the amount of money they can get for projects that won't fit into the standard budget," said Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh.