Students Start Online Petition to Shut Down Donkey Basketball Fundraiser

Richards junior Nicole Candra (left) and OLCHS junior Melissa Krzak (right) have organized an online petition to stop an upcoming donkey basketball game from taking place at Oak Lawn Community High School.

OAK LAWN, IL -- Two high school students have started an online petition to shut down an upcoming donkey basketball game sponsored by the Oak Lawn Rotary Club to raise money for community organizations.

Donkey basketball (there’s also a baseball version) has been around since the Depression. It involves two, four-player teams who ride donkeys (or try to ride them) up and down the gymnasium floor. Players must be mounted on the donkey before they are allowed to shoot the ball for a basket.

Throughout the years, schools, churches and organizations have held donkey basketball fundraisers. Community members pay money to watch their local police officers, firefighters, teachers, students and local politicians try to ride donkeys and score points for their respective teams.

The Oak Lawn Rotary Club’s donkey basketball game is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. March 11 at Oak Lawn Community High School. Proceeds from the game will go toward the Pilgrim Faith Food Pantry, Genesis Therapy Center and the Hines Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Oak Lawn.

Students, along with teachers and coaches from Richards High School and OLCHS, will face off against each other in two games. The winners of those games will finish the evening with a “championship” round.

OLCHS junior Melissa Krzak, and her pal-since-preschool Nicole Candra, a junior at Richards, say there has to be more humane ways for raising money for worthy causes.

“It’s animal misuse for entertainment,” Krzak said. “People are willing to pay money and laugh when donkeys kick people off because they don’t want to be carrying people on their backs, especially heavy men. I don’t think it’s funny when people try to force donkeys to do something that is unnatural to them.”

While watching pillars of the community falling off a donkey and landing on their butts is part of the fun, animal advocacy organizations including PETA, the American Humane Association and the Humane Society of the United States have raised concerns about players abusing the donkeys during games.

Animal rights activists have accused operators of depriving the donkeys of food and water to keep the animals from defecating or urinating on gymnasium floors during games. They also claim donkeys are deprived of a “normal life” due to transport in close cramped quarters, further exposing the animals to pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.

Some members of the Oak Lawn Rotary Club -- which counts the mayor, village manager, village clerk, fire chief and other civic and business leaders among its membership -- also initially expressed concerns about animal abuse when the idea to hold a donkey ball fundraiser was first proposed.

“This is something that we put a lot of thought into,” said Rotary Club president Mark Dynia. “We did look into it and did our due diligence. We made sure there were no reported cases of animal abuse.”

The donkeys for the upcoming Oak Lawn Rotary-sponsored game at OLCHS are being provided by Buckeye Donkey Ball, a family-owned company based in Columbus, OH, which claims to put humane treatment of its donkeys at the forefront of its business.

Kicking, punching, hitting or pulling the donkey’s neck and ears during a game to gain control of the animal will get a player ejected. Participants, however, are allowed to pull on the donkey’s reins. The donkeys wear protective coverings on their hooves to prevent injury from slipping on the gymnasium floor. Sponsors are required to clean up donkey messes.

Buckeye also provides equipment (helmets and donkeys), a referee, and sport and liability insurance for players and the sponsoring organization.

“We asked Buckeye for information about the animals, including vet statements and caring for donkeys in regards to this event,” Dynia said. “We didn’t want to do something that would alienate the community. There is a training session and safety presentation for the participants, otherwise they don’t get to ride.”

Dynia added that a company representative would pair riders with donkeys based on height and weight, which may preclude more portly players from participating.

Although Buckeye did not respond to phone calls or emails requesting an interview, the company described most people with complaints about donkey ball as being “misinformed” in a statement provided to the Oak Lawn Rotary.

“We do not use bits, whips, or any other device to force the donkey up and down the court. Our animals are not withheld food or water and actually munch on hay on their way to the game. Abuse of our animals is completely unacceptable.”

Buckeye donkeys are examined monthly by a licensed veterinarian as required by law and granted health certificates. The animals are transported in specially designed trailers and are considered “pets,” with their own names and personalities, the company states.

The company also encourages sponsors to go forward with the planned event even if faced with opposition.

“If somebody does attend the event to voice their concern, a majority of the time, they realize how absurd the accusations are,” the company statement read.

Krzak and Candra hope to gather 1,000 signatures on their “Donkeys Don’t Play Basketball” petition. As of Wednesday evening, 185 had signed the petition. Both students say they will be outside protesting the game if it goes on.

“Many schools have petitioned and got the games stopped from happening at their schools,” Krzak said. “I hope that my community is smart enough to see this a demeaning fundraiser to have at a high school and boycotts the game.”