SANTA MONICA, Calif., (April 25, 2008) --- Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel has a winning bid of $132,400 as of 12 pm today. Grant Humphreys, CEO of The Humphreys Company, in Oklahoma City is the Ferris wheel’s top bidder. Mr. Humphreys is a real estate developer that specializes in building walkable communities.

The 10-day eBay auction began Tuesday, April 15 with a $50,000 reserve, with 50 percent of the winning bid being donated to Special Olympics Southern California. A check presentation will be made at a later date.

With just one week remaining at Pacific Park, beginning on Monday, April 28 all Santa Monica residents will be invited to ride the Ferris wheel for free and on May 1 one lucky Santa Monica resident will be selected to be the last rider on the Pacific Wheel. All of Los Angeles will have a turn on the wheel on Sunday, May 4 when all guests ride the Ferris wheel for free as Pacific Park donates $1 per rider to spcaLA from 11 am to 9 pm.

“This has been a great process in finding a new home for the Ferris wheel and we are especially excited to be able to present Special Olympics Southern California with such a large and well-deserved donation,” says Jeff Klocke, director of marketing and sales at Pacific Park. “Now begins the process of celebrating the Ferris wheel with the community beginning April 28 through May 4.”

Installation of Pacific Park’s all new, $1.5 million contemporary Ferris wheel begins May 5 with a grand opening community celebration scheduled for the evening of Thursday, May 22.

The Pacific Wheel debuted May 1996 with the opening of Pacific Park; was adapted as the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel in November 1998; has over 300 celebrity appearances including a variety of television commercials and shows, feature films, and music videos; and has become a Southern California icon over the past 12 years providing more than 3 million rides.

Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, LA’s only admission-free amusement park, offers 12 amusement rides, 21 midway games and an oceanfront food plaza. For more information, please call (310) 260-8744 or visit pacpark.com.