Bump is a native Vermonter who, like all moose, is drawn to roadsides in the spring to lick salt. One year he was struck by a car and, having repaired to a nearby farm to convalesce, met a cow named Dottie and fell in love with her. After rejoining his family in the woods he continued to hold a candle for his bovine soulmate and resolved to search for her. One day, having wandered down Interstate 91, he stumbled into a University of Massachusetts alumni game, and that's where former ABA great and erstwhile Minuteman Julius (Dr. J) Erving dunked a ball so ferociously that it became embedded in Bump's head. That mishap hooked him on the throwback spirit of the red, white and blue league. Since returning to Vermont, Bump hasn't lost his passion for basketball; nor has he gotten over Dottie, whom he's still looking for.

Like Champ and Skip, the mascots of the Vermont Lake Monsters and Vermont Mountaineers, Bump is a creation of Jean-Claude Tremblay of Mascouche, Quebec, whose company over 25 years has manufactured hundreds of cuddly creatures, including Youppi, who has served with distinction as the mascot of the Montreal Expos and now the Montreal Canadiens.

Bump is one of about 4,700 moose in Vermont; a population almost three times the capacity of each of the Frost Heaves' home venues. Anywhere from 100 to 200 moose are killed each year in Vermont in collisions with motorists, so Bump asks you to please, drive carefully.

During the offseason Bump makes frequent appearances at parades, festivals and charity events, and he's available year-round for private functions, including birthday parties. To contact him, e-mail bump@vermontfrostheaves.com.

BUMP is proudly sponsored by National Life Group.