It's just not right," Owen said.Ĭontact Lori Higgins: 31 or Follow her on Twitter to watch the donkey basketball game? It's taking place at 7 p.m. "It's not really a situation that any animal should be in, for entertainment. Owen said the fund-raiser is teaching a terrible lesson to children. And it's created a debate on the Facebook page for the event, between two local activists and alumni and parents. But some local activists have shown up over the years. PETA has never organized a protest outside the school. they felt comfortable with allowing the fund-raiser to be conducted in the district's property." "They felt that what they knew of the event and how the animals were cared for. Ron Stoneman, superintendent of the Redford Union School District, said the Board of Education took up the issue of whether to continue allowing the fund-raiser to be held in the high school several years ago. "We have some people who graduated in the 70s that are coming back to play because they couldn't play when they were seniors," he said. The addition of the alumni teams was so popular that tickets for those who wanted to participate "sold out quicker than any other teams in the past," Osowski said. And for the first time this year, two alumni teams will participate. The company also provides donkeys for baseball games and racing, according to its website.įor the seniors who get to participate in tonight's event, it's kind of like a rite of passage. The donkeys are supplied by Buckeye Donkey Ball, based in Ohio. That includes funding scholarships for students or buying supplies for teachers. Today, the money raised gets donated back to the school, Osowski said. And for decades since, the event has been held every year - except in 1986 when the head of the parent group didn't get the donkeys booked in time. The history of the event stretches back to 1956 or 1957, when a dad's club organized the event that had fathers riding the donkeys. I think the donkeys enjoy it as much as the kids." and I can tell when something is mistreated. "If these animals were mistreated in any way, I would stop it in a minute," Osowski said. During the basketball game, players lead the donkeys back and forth on the court - guiding them with what Osowski described as a halter-type device - then hop on them when they're ready to shoot a basket. But he says he's never seen the things PETA says happens routinely and is adamant the event isn't cruel to the donkeys. "Tradition is no excuse for cruelty," Owen said. PETA has been a vocal opponent of donkey basketball games, and has encouraged the Redford Union School District to kill the tradition and choose a "more compassionate" way to raise money. It's simply not OK to use and abuse these animals to raise funds for these schools," said Rachelle Owen, senior manager of youth campaigns at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. and handled by teens and staff who have no training handling them or experience. "The donkeys are dragged, yanked, kicked, punched, hit with balls. "It's incredibly fun to watch."īut for animal rights activists, this fund-raiser has a dark side. "It's just a family-oriented time," said Jeff Osowski, president of the Blue and Gold Club, a parent booster group. And when they trot into the gymnasium at Redford Union High School tonight, the crowd likely will go wild.Ī short time later, students and alumni at the school will be paired up with one of the 12 to 14 donkeys to play a basketball game that has become a wildly popular fund-raiser at the school - a tradition that's survived since the 1950s. The donkeys have names like Elvis Has Left the Building.
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