By ANDRIANNA MARSTON

alm045@latech.edu

 

Tech’s Equestrian Club decided to give traditional fund raising a little twist to make money for their trip this year.

Josh Willhite, president of the Equestrian Club and a senior animal science major, said the Equestrian Club has planned to raffle off a live miniature donkey to raise money for their trip to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

“Tech’s Equine Center donated a miniature donkey to our club last year, and we made about $1,000 off of it,” Willhite said.

Willhite said since the raffle last year had a good turnout and the club has more experience, members wanted to try the fund raiser again.

“We bought another miniature donkey, and we hope to make double or triple of what we made last year,” Willhite said. “Single tickets are being sold for $2, three for $5 and six for $10 in Reese Hall.”

Ashley Leggitt, treasurer of the Equestrian Club and a senior animal science major, said the fund raiser is a little unusual.

“It’s different from selling candy bars,” Leggitt said. “It may be a little harder to sell to students, but a donkey raffle will surely catch their attention.”

Willhite said the trip has been planned for middle to late March.

“As of right now 25 members are signed up to go, and we have planned to stay three days in Kentucky,” Willhite said.

Although the club has been on some small trips, Leggitt said officers of the club decided a trip to Kentucky would be a good way to show members a new perspective of equine life.

“Since the end of last school year and the beginning of this fall, we had been throwing around ideas for a trip,” Leggitt said. “[The president] got a little excited so we decided to go through with the idea because we want to show students a variety of different places.”

A lot of horse-oriented activities are being planned to help educate the members, Willhite said.

“We may camp out on some of the area campgrounds, visit the horse museums and, hopefully, we will get a chance to see Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is held,” Willhite said.

Aleta Overby, adviser of the Equestrian Club and an assistant professor of animal science, said this is the club’s first major journey.

“We have gone to the Equine Graduate Program at [Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge] in conjunction with the Pre-vet club, but that wasn’t really a big trip,” Overby said. “However, when we get everything organized, this will be our first big trip.”

The club also chose to visit Kentucky because the horse park has been established for a long time, Overby said.

“There are two places in the United States that say they are the horse capital,” Overby said. “But Kentucky is known for its beautiful park. It’s like a Disney World for horse people.”