Big moo-lah at stake in cow-pie bingo
Middletown church raffle event raises $5,000 for charitable causes
BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer

PHOTOBY SCOTTPILLNGstaff Clockwise from top left: Nine-year-old Matthew Generoso makes some new friends during Saturday's Cow-Pie Bingo on Potter's Farm in Middletown. Mary the cow walks the grid during the fundraiser. Visitors to the farm check their names and box locations on the cow-pie bingo board. Bill Potter (l) and the Rev. Scott Harris of Middletown's Reformed Church, hang around in the donkey pen prior to the event.

MIDDLETOWN - Mary the cow looked longingly back at the barn and let out a long, wailing moo. All alone in a small fenced-in pen, about 200 people were staring at her, waiting for her to choose a spot, any spot, and relieve herself.

Somewhere inside the vast barn, out of sight to the crowd, a lone cow mooed back, perhaps out of sympathy for Mary's dilemma. Two hours passed and Mary still had yet to relieve herself.

"Don't worry, folks," joked a DJ, "this could take anywhere between 20 minutes and two days."

Next he played "Moon River" to "relax her," he said. When that didn't work, it was back to golden oldies, but nothing, it seemed, could move Mary.

PHOTOBY KARENBOWES

Not that anyone really minded. Pastor Scott Harris of the Reformed Church of Middletown was all smiles as he watched and waited with the rest of the crowd at Potter's Farm, Red Hill Road, Middletown.

"Our official motto for cow-pie bingo is 'Watch your step,'" he said.

The farm's owner, Bill Potter, played host to the church's annual cow-pie bingo fundraiser, donating Mary's special skill and use of his farm. A white grid was painted on the grass for the occasion, with exactly 500 squares for Mary to choose from. With a $5,000 prize on the line, tickets sold out quickly at $20 per square. How does the game work?

"Wherever she goes poo, that's who wins," the pastor said.

Proceeds from the event will help a variety of outreach programs, including local scholarships to Brookdale Community College and shelter for domestic violence victims. While churchgoers ran the event, selling baked goods, 50-50 tickets and organizing a cow-themed piata for children, many of the bettors in attendance had simply heard about the event and wanted to take part. Two brothers and their aunt, new to the area, came dressed in full cow costumes. When asked why they came, one of the cow-brothers replied he wanted the "moo-lah."

PHOTOBY SCOTTPILLNGstaff

Sheriff Joe Oxley served as judge, on hand in case the dung happened to land in two or in between squares, at which point, he explained, his job is to determine which square contains the majority.

"This is just fun," Oxley said. "When you see the kids, it's just amazing."

Oxley has acted as judge for the last three years. As a former mayor of Middletown, he was aware of the church's activities. After an hour and a half, he wondered aloud about Mary's performance anxiety.

"I understand they've been feeding her oats," he reported, jokingly.

Several cups of oats later, the crowd began to thin as vendors packed their wares and folded up tables and chairs. Mary began to chomp on grass.

"Is there anything in the rules about eating the playing field?" asked Harris.

Finally, after two and a half hours, Mary made her mark. The lucky winner was from Red Bank.

"She was a little bit shy," Potter said afterward, "with all that pressure she was under."