A chicken, a board of 64 numbered squares and a $100 cash prize await anyone willing to bet on where the bird poops first.
The John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center (ELC) at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City is hosting a Fall FUNdraiser on Oct. 17 to raise $2,500 and offset lost grant funding. The event runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at 19600 Molalla Ave., and the lineup includes a raffle called the Bird Poop Drop, canvases painted by cockroaches and terrarium building, as first reported by The Oregonian.
Event organizer Trieste Andrews got the Bird Poop Drop idea from an Austin, Texas, bar that runs a similar game. The original name wouldn't pass Oregon gambling regulators, so Andrews settled on something printable. "We thought about Foul Play for a long time, which I thought was a great name," Andrews told The Oregonian, "but we wanted to make sure people knew what it was."
Here's how it works: participants buy a $25 square on the board. A chicken steps onto the grid at 4:30 p.m. If the bird's first deposit lands on your square, you win $100. Only 64 squares are available. Buyers must be 18 or older and in Oregon at the time of purchase. Winners do not need to be present.
Andrews already ran a trial with two chickens named Cheeks and Dash. A backup bird will be on standby in case the starter gets stage fright.
At 3:30 p.m., entomologist Heather Andrews will talk about cockroaches and then dip a few giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches in paint, letting them crawl across canvases. Attendees take home the finished paintings. Trieste Andrews said no cockroaches will be harmed.
The afternoon also includes live music by Steven Soll, light refreshments and apples donated by the Home Orchard Education Center, according to the event's Eventbrite listing.
Adult tickets cost $25 and include art supplies and terrarium materials. Youth tickets (18 and under) are $10. Bird Poop Drop raffle squares cost an additional $25.
The ELC sits on a five-acre site that once housed a Smucker's berry processing plant. Founded in 1974, the center provides hands-on environmental education to more than 2,200 K-12 students each year and offers professional development for adults in water and environmental fields.
Newell Creek originates on the grounds, fed by underground springs and stormwater runoff. The creek flows through the 1,800-acre Newell Creek watershed before reaching the Willamette River.
Tickets are available at the event's Eventbrite page. The ELC is on the northeast edge of the Oregon City campus; the easiest route is the back entrance off Beavercreek Road, then right on Douglas Loop and right again onto Inskeep Drive.
Upcoming community dates: The ELC grounds, featuring trails, ponds and benches, are open daily from dawn to dusk. For more information, call 503-594-3015.
