Jumbo Ears help kids play ball
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on August 26, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com A traditional fair food that has been part of Whoop-Up Days for decades is raising funds for a local organization while providing hundreds with their beloved carnival treat.The Jumbo Ears booth is back and with it an opportunity for the Lethbridge Longhorns and Lethbridge and District Exhibition to raise some funds for both organizations.
After learning the Jumbo Ears secrets from former committee chairman of the Jumbo Ears booth Tim Shields last year, Lethbridge Longhorn head coach and booth volunteer Chance Wheatley told the Herald Wednesday afternoon that they have been keeping busy since the moment the gates open Tuesday afternoon.
“I think we sold just under 900 yesterday and we’re only open for like four hours and today we probably sold 200 so far today in less than two hours,” said Wheatley.
He said this is a good sign of how much money they will be able to collect by the end of the fair, even though they split the proceeds with the Lethbridge and District Exhibition 50/50.
“The point of the fundraiser is to try and keep costs as low as possible for players who want to try baseball while still in high school,” said Wheatley.
He said the Lethbridge Longhorns provides baseball opportunities to children in Grade 10 to 12 and the funds raised helps lower their cost, which is beneficial for many, especially families with multiple children wanting to try out the sport.
“For the most part there are players and a few parents that are helping out, but the majority are our players,” said Wheatley.
He said that even though Shields helped them a lot last year, they had made some changes to make the process flow easier for them.
“The instructions were pretty clear and so far so good, but we kind of change the process stuff a little bit to try and streamline things,” said Wheatley. Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter 4
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