Arkansas group offering $10,000 and a free bike to new residents

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- An economic development organization in Northwest Arkansas is seeking to lure new residents to the area with an offer of $10,000 and a free bicycle.

The Northwest Arkansas Council's Life Works Here Initiative announced it is offering aspiring residents of the region a payment of $10,000 to relocate, as well as a street or mountain bike for enjoying the area's 162 miles of paved trails and 322 miles of mountain biking trails.

The council said new residents who don't want a new bike can also take an option for an annual membership to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art or another cultural institution.

"Right now we know a lot of people are re-evaluating their priorities and their lifestyle," Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, told Forbes. "We are seizing the opportunity to capture attention at this time when many employers have extended work from home opportunities and employees -- knowing they can work from anywhere -- are reconsidering where they are living and what they are prioritizing."

Applications are currently being accepted on the initiative's website.