Two teams took to the court Friday night in a pitched battle to determine who would be champion, but the real winner of the special Donkey Ball game was the TLC Community Center.
The Donkey Ball game was a special fundraising event for the community service center and Director Angie Odom said the event raised $3,204. After paying for $350 in expenses to cover the cost of putting the event together, the Center cleared $2,874 to fund its many programs that help to support local families in need.
“This has been the best fundraiser,” Odom said, adding the game helped to raise more money than typical fundraisers for the Center bring in. “The turnout was great and the crowd really enjoyed it.”
Last year’s champions, the Blazin’ Burros, returned this year to defend their title against a team from Food City. The Burros were unable to hold back their competition and the Food City Team captured this year’s championship.
And, while the fans cheered on both teams, they also cheered on the donkeys, who provided the more interesting moments of the game with their antics.
Some players found it difficult to remain mounted on their donkeys while others found out their donkey had it’s own ideas about which way they should go.
In a game of donkey ball, a player can move around on their own feet on the court but they must maintain a hold on their donkey’s reins. Only players who are mounted can take shots and attempt to score.
The game started out slowly as the two-legged players and their four-legged teammates got accustomed to one another. At the end of the first quarter, Thurston Hamrick, owner of Bar H Events which provided the animals for the event, announced the score was “zero to zero… in favor of the donkeys.”
But as the game went on, the players got in the groove and began putting scores up on the board.
“In the second half they went crazy,” Odom said. “In the last few seconds of the entire game David Jones, who was playing for the Food City team, made a three-point shot.”
Between the crowd reaction to the game and the amount of money raised, Odom said the Center plans to continue holding Donkey Ball games as a fundraising event.
The TLC Community Center is a non-profit organization that provides support services to families in need, including a crisis pregnancy center and food programs.
For more information on the TLC Community Center or its programs, contact Angie Odom at 423-895-8601.