Donkey b-ball fundraiser full of laughs

By Ethan Nahté

The donkeys were in the house and on the court, while some of the players were on the floor. The fundraiser for the Cossatot River cheerleaders on March 9 was entertaining for the participants and for the audience. With tickets ranging from $7 - $10 to help raise money to pay for the outfits and supplies for the CRSD cheerleaders, the mostly filled Hatfield gym had 413 tickets sold.

The Walking Dog was also outside the front door, selling a variety of special recipe hot dogs and donating the proceeds to the cause. The first game pitted the female students against the male students. As one would assume, it was very difficult to get the donkeys to cooperate — not moving when a player wanted them to move, and taking off when a player wanted the beasts to stop, whether it be to shoot a basket with a ball slightly smaller than a regulation basketball, or to go after a loose ball while having to maintain some form of connection with one’s ride.

A lot of time was spent trying to mount and stay on the donkeys. Some students learned quickly that being behind a donkey is not where you want to be. The longeared critters did have special rubber shoes on to protect the court while the players had helmets on to protect their heads.

The boys barely won with a score of 1614.

At the end of the first game, the players led the donkeys from one end of the court to the other, spotting the young kids

12 and under who received tickets upon entry to get a free donkey ride. Some of the donkeys were traded out to give them a break as the second game began, which was a co-ed game of adults vs. students. The students were victorious 18-12.

The participants were having a blast judging by their facial expressions. The crowd was laughing almost nonstop. Some of the crowd could be overheard stating that this event was the most they had laughed in a long time.

The donkeys were supplied by Dairyland Donkey Ball, LLC out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

More photos will be in a Pulse Facebook album soon.

3/28 - Cossatot vs. Two Rivers

Softball

3/27 - Cossatot @ De Queen

3/28 - Cossatot vs. Two Rivers

Soccer

3/27 - Cossatot vs. Harmony Grove

Baseball

3/28 - Mena @ Pottsville

Softball

3/27 - Mena vs. Hackett

3/28 - Mena @ Pottsville

Parker victorious in Junior Golden Gloves

Jasmine Parker, 14, of Mena, competed in the Arkansas Junior Golden Gloves Saturday, March 11, in Little Rock. Parker competed in the 114-pound female division against a tough opponent from Major

Mineral Springs

Moves Boxing.

Parker put on a near-perfect performance in three rounds of boxing to secure her the unanimous decision victory and the Junior Golden Gloves Championship.

Arkansas Community College

Softball

3/23 - UARM @ South Arkansas Community College

3/25 - UARM @ SAU Tech

Track & Field

3/22 - UARM @ Langston University Invitational

Parker is a member of the Attitude Angels female boxing team and trains at the Ouachita Combat and Fitness Academy in Mena. Parker attends Mena Middle School where she plays volleyball, competes in track and is a member of the cheer team. Boxing Coach Richard Hexamer said, “Parker has worked into a very solid young boxer. I look for big things in this young lady’s future.”