ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 7, 1994                   TAG: 9405090127
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RINER                                LENGTH: Medium


`MUFFIN' CONTEST AIMED AT RAISING PILES OF MONEY

Meadow Muffin Mini-Bucks.

Try saying that three times, really fast.

Planners of Auburn High School's first-ever After Prom Party are sponsoring the Mini-Bucks contest today to raise money for the event. The contest will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the high school football field. It works like this:

Henry Sink, a local dairy farmer, will bring in "Bessie the cow" and let her loose on the football field, which has been gridded off into 10-foot by 10-foot squares. Bessie, who probably will be a little nervous until she gets used to her new surroundings, will discover the lush green grass of the football field and commence grazing, forgetting all her woes. A little later, she may have to relieve herself. When that happens, two judges will promptly locate her "muffin" in its computer-printout grid, measure it to make sure it qualifies as a legal muffin and not a "splatlett," and award the grid owner $500. The second and third place winners will receive $250 and $100 respectively.

"The fund raising has gone real well," said Bob Davis, who served on the fund-raising committee. "We had 760 deeds to sell and we have sold all but 39. We've done much better than we thought we would."

For over a month, 12 to 15 parents have been selling $5 deeds to each grid on the football field, and the contest works the same as the lottery or any other drawing. Wherever the prairie pie lands, there is money to be had. Organizers had to receive special permits to run the contest.

"They considered it as a lottery or bingo-type thing, so we had to get a special permit from the commonwealth's attorney," Davis said.

If Bessie gets shy, and won't go, Davis said the prizes will be drawn at random. But he doesn't think a drawing will be necessary.

"We think the cow will go pretty quick. We're going to lead her around for a few minutes and take her out in the center of the football field. The judges will watch for all three hours, but I'm sure it won't take that long."

Davis said the Meadow Muffin Mini-Bucks contest has been lots of fun to plan because it is so different from most school fund raisers.

"A lot of people thought it was such a neat thing that the deeds went really fast," he said. "Mainly because they were just curious to see what it's all about."

The Meadow Muffin contest won't be the only activity at the high school today, either. There will be a car wash and a concession stand with hotdogs and hamburgers.

Local businesses have shown their support, too. Shelor Chevrolet donated a 1987 Chevrolet Chevette to give away at the After Prom Party. A Macintosh computer and an official Dale Earnheart racing jacket also will be given away.

Davis said it's not too late to purchase one of the remaining deeds for today's contest. Organizers will be at the school by 8:30 a.m., but once Bessie is on the field, the betting window is closed.



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