BY
DAVID RICHARDS - DRICHARDS@SIERRASTAR.COM
DAVID RICHARDS/SIERRA STAR
A member of the Madera County Sheriff’s Department aims for the
basket as a member of the Californnia Department of Forestry and
Fire Protection plays defense at the 15th annual Yosemite High School
donkey basketball game Monday.
DAVID RICHARDS/SIERRA STAR
Madera County Sheriff John Anderson clings to his donkey in front
of a packed crowd.
It
sort of looked like a basketball game and sort of sounded like one.
Fans packed both sides of the bleachers, cheering on their favorite
players as they scored. There were four quarters and there was halftime.
The only things different were the donkeys and the smell.
For the past 15 years, National FFA Organization students at Yosemite
High School have organized a night of donkey basketball. The 2004
event was held at the YHS cafeteria Monday.
For the past five months, FFA students have been busy finding time
to promote the activity, scheduling the donkeys,and lining up the
location.
“We don’t really approach it as a fund raiser,” said Steve Ecklund,
FFA advisor for the past five years. “We just try to promote it
as a cool community event to kick off FFA Week.”
The first quarter of the contest featured personnel from the Madera
County Sheriff’s Department squaring off against the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In the second quarter,
teachers took the court against students.
Some players fell off their donkeys; others didn’t.
“They’re bigger than I thought they’d be,” said Sheriff John Anderson.
“Some of them are as big as a horse.”
At halftime, the donkeys were free to roam around the court, giving
fans an opportunity to take a closer look.
The third quarter featured the sheriff’s department against the
students, while CDF and YHS staff faced off in the fourth.
As far as rules go, there weren’t many.
Players were told to stay on their donkeys while they had possession
of the basketball and to clean up after their animal at all times.
For Sheriff Anderson, it was his first donkey basketball experience.
“I think I’m a better basketball player than a donkey rider,” he
said.
This year’s extravaganza earned the FFA program roughly $1,000.
The funds will be split up among the members of FFA who helped out
in organizing this year’s event. Each student will have the option
of putting the funds back into the program, or using them to help
with their own FFA projects for the year.
Ecklund said he was pleased with this year’s turnout.
“It was good and I’m always trying to figure ways to make it better,”
he said.
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