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04/27/2022 08:57 AMGet your tickets: To help throw a safe graduation party for the Westbrook High School seniors, Project Graduation is hosting the Cow Chip Bingo Fundraising Festival at Ted Lane Field on Sunday, May 1.
The event will be held rain or shine from 1 to 5 p.m. at Ted Lane Field. Tickets, $10, can be bought at cowchipbingo.virtualraffle.org up until 1:25 p.m. on May 1. Those interested can buy as many tickets as they want if increase their odds of winning. The grand prize winner will receive 10 percent of gross profits up to $1,600. Ticket holders do not need to be present to play and win.
Cowchip bingo is an old tradition in many rural towns, including Westbrook. The way the game works is that Ted Lane will be turned into a giant bingo board. Raffle tickets will be sold for each corresponding square. At 1:30 p.m. Meadow the cow will be led on the field, and whatever square she “plops” in will be the winner.
Dawn Hendrixson, the publicity chair for Project Graduation, said that the idea came about during a meeting last September when the group was brainstorming fundraising activities. Someone mentioned the festival and Hendrixson said some long-time residents mentioned how though it hasn’t been held in years, they had fond memories of the event. The group decided to go ahead with the idea.
“We hope it’s the last fundraiser for Project Graduation we need to do this year. If we sell every ticket, we’ll be in good shape,” Hendrixson said.
Hendrixson said she hopes the day will be fun for the whole family, as the festival will feature activities besides bingo. The day will also host a hayride, corn hole, an obstacle course, and a dunk tank with seniors from the class of 2022 among other fun games. There will also be music, food, and drinks.
“We’re still getting some ducks in a row but we’re hoping we get all the seniors to sign up to be dunked and maybe even some faculty and teachers, too,” said Hendrixson.
What makes this festival even more unique is that even Meadow the cow has a connection to the seniors. Bonnie Hall and her husband and Westbrook First Selectman John Hall run Maple Breeze Farm, which has been breeding American Milking Devon cows since 1635. Twelve years ago, the Halls launched a community-wide poll to name their new cow in which many of the town’s children participated when they were starting school in kindergarten. Those same kindergartners are now seniors in high school, and thanks in part to the funds raised by Meadow, they will be able to enjoy one last night together after graduation.
“Bonnie said she picked Meadow for the festival and when we asked why, she said, ‘Well they named her 12 years ago’ and explained the story,” said Hendrixson, noting that Hall also said, “She’s the sweetest cow, too.”
Proceeds from the event will fund a safe and substance-free night out after graduation for the whole graduating class. Hendrixson said the exact details for the night are kept a surprise for the seniors, but the plan is to take them somewhere the night of graduation that offers fun and safe place to celebrate and keeps them off the roads.