Bethlehem School celebrates 21 years of Cow Dump Gala fundraiser

Daisy the cow was responsible for the cow dump. Photo / Luke Kirkness

OPINION

Bethlehem School's Cow Dump Gala turned 21 yesterday - the annual fundraiser I'm sure is one of New Zealand's quirkiest.

The gala is based around the bowel movements of a cow with $2000 up for grabs depending on where it goes to the toilet on the school's field.

After a drenching of rain on Saturday and drizzle on Sunday morning, the clouds parted over Bethlehem for the start of the cow dump and gala.

As I understand it, getting children to school on the best of days is a struggle but there was no denying everyone wanted to be at Bethlehem School.

Hundreds descended upon the school which had dozens of stalls, gala games, a spinning wheel, plenty of food, and of course a cow on the field.

Former school pupil John Charmichael and wife Cathy brought the cow down to the school - Daisy was enjoying her third cow dump.

Daisy (centre) stands next to her first cowpat. Photo / Luke Kirkness

The game is simple: buy one of the several thousand raffle tickets to get one of the half-metre squares that were laid out in the school's field.

Each square is numbered and the square with the most cow poo is crowned the winner - a surveyor works out the square electronically, so no need for markings on the grass.

When I first heard this was taking place I thought whoever signed off on the idea was mad, however, it turned out to be a real winner.

Yesterday marked the 21st running of the cow dump at the school, with the event raising anywhere between $8000 and $12,000 each year, Cathy Charmichael said.

However, it was also the final bell for principal Brian Field who is retiring at the end of the school term after 26 years at the helm.

"It brings the whole community together," he told the Bay of Plenty Times.

"Heaps of people have been coming here for years. Some of the parents were students themselves when we started."

One focal point was a catapult created by John Charmichael which was used to launch lollies into the air, making for an especially interesting lolly scramble.

Daisy the cow was the main drawcard, however.

Bethlehem School principal Brian Field. Photo / George Novak

She spent her time walking around her makeshift paddock on the school's sports field.

Over the years, the Charmichaels have used three different cows.

"The dump has always been before 2pm," John said. "Daisy has been the best-behaved of the lot, she doesn't have a care in the world."

And after a short feed of hay, Daisy performed her duties well ahead of schedule, going to the toilet at exactly 11.40am right in front of Field.

"I've never seen that before. I've never been here for that," he laughed.

Field thought around $30,000 would be generated by the cow dump and the gala events, which would be used towards providing shade for four new playgrounds.