On Wednesday, Midwest retailer Meijer celebrated its beloved penny pony Sandy’s 62nd birthday, a milestone dating back to the grand opening of the first Meijer supercenter on June 5, 1962.
Sandy is best known by customers and their families as an icon of the Meijer culture and community, bringing joy and routine to the family shopping experience.
In 1999, as an ode to the legacy, LEGO created a life-sized model of Sandy. (Photo provided)
While Sandy can be quickly spotted at the front of each Meijer, the appearance has shifted over its more than six-decade long residency. At the time of the 1962 grand opening, a total of nine white (not the rich brown hue seen today) penny ponies were present, and the name “Sandy” was nowhere to be found. The phrase “Ride the Champion” was printed on the original with a cost of 10 cents per ride, which was immediately reduced to one cent by the company’s Co-Founder Fred Meijer.