UPDATE 02-02-2018: The TLC Community Center just announced that the Donkey Ball game scheduled for this evening has been canceled due to inclement weather preventing Professional Animal Frolics from traveling from North Carolina. The Center hopes to reschedule the Donkey Ball game for some time in March. A new date will be announced once it has been confirmed.

To celebrate a milestone birthday, a local non-profit agency is hosting a special fundraising event that is sure to provide laughs and entertainment for the entire family.

The TLC Community Center is hosting a unique basketball game on Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in the gym at Hunter Elementary School. But what makes the event so unique is not the title to be won, but the games’ competitors. When the two six-person teams take to the court on Feb. 2, they will be riding donkeys.

For those who have never attended a Donkey Ball game, TLC Community Center Director Angie Odom promises “it will be something like they’ve never seen before.”

For the past few years, the TLC Community Center has hosted a Donkey Ball game as a way to raise money to support the Center’s programs. The Center raised $2,400 during the event last year between admission fees and concession sales.

For a game of Donkey Ball, the players are paired with a donkey, which they must remain with during the game. Players can stand on the ground holding the reins to the donkey when they pass the ball back and forth, but to be able to score points, the player must make the shot while riding their donkey.

Odom said the games are always entertaining to watch as the players struggle to get their donkeys into position.

“Just like with people, the donkeys have their own distinct personalities,” Odom explained. “Some are easy going, but some are more stubborn, and you can’t tell which one is which by looking at them.”

This year’s game marks an important milestone for the TLC Community Center.

“It’s our 18th birthday party,” Odom said. “I’m really excited about it.”

While the two-legged players are local, the four-legged team members are part of a special troupe from Professional Animal Frolics, which is based out of Boiling Springs, N.C. The donkeys are specially trained by the company to take part in the games according to information from Professional Animal Frolics.

During intermission, children in attendance will get the chance to take a ride on the donkeys.

The Donkey Ball game will start at 7 p.m. at Hunter Elementary School. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children, and children age 3 and younger will be admitted for free. A variety of concessions will be available for purchase.