LOUDONVILLE — The Loudonville FFA Alumni & Supporters are putting a fresh twist on a traditional fundraiser, to raise money for a new greenhouse at the Loudonville High School.
While most groups sell raffle tickets to raise money, the alumni organization is putting the emphasis on agriculture by using a unique way to select the winner — letting a cow do the work.
The organization is currently selling tickets for Cow Patty Bingo, a form of raffle where a cow is released onto a giant bingo board and decides who wins by … well, marking it. Whoever the cow chooses will receive a $1,000 grand prize.
“We weren’t the first ones to think of this, but it’s always a fun way to turn heads and help raise money for a good cause,” said Kenny Libben, vice president of the alumni organization and one of the members spearheading the push to build a new greenhouse.
Libben explained that for each ticket sold, a square will be added to the bingo board — 200 tickets sold means 200 squares — with each square expected to be about 3×3, but admitted the final size depends on the number of tickets sold. The squares will be marked out on a fenced-in pasture, and then a single cow will be released onto the arena.
Then, everyone waits…”it could be five minutes, it could be five hours,” Libben chuckled, but clarified that the winner doesn’t have to be there to claim their prize.
As for the pasture and the cow, that’s being generously provided by Loudonville FFA student president Linde Hahn.
The alumni organization is donating all the proceeds to their effort to build a new academic greenhouse at the Loudonville High School.
The organization has been working toward this goal for nearly two years, noting that the current greenhouse which was built in the 1980s is too small, not handicap accessible, and has issues with the foundation and heating system.
At that time, greenhouse classes were not required curriculum, so the small structure served more as an extra-curricular opportunity for FFA students.
Today, greenhouse classes are part of state-mandated coursework for agriscience departments and Loudonville’s agriscience department has seen tremendous growth in recent years — a problem when dealing with the limited space of the current greenhouse but, “a good problem to have,” Libben remarked.
The new greenhouse is expected to be 64×48 with modern heating, cooling, and irrigation systems allowing for year-round use and additional classroom space. The alumni organization has already raised over $200,000 for the cause, which they say will be the first permanent academic building that the district has built since 1963.
Tickets for cow patty bingo are sold for $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. The date of the drawing — or dropping — is set for Saturday, May 13. To allow time for the pasture to be marked, tickets should be purchased prior to Thursday, May 11.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://loudonvilleffa.com/raffle via phone by calling 419-368-0519 or from any Loudonville FFA Alumni member.
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