PHILIPSBURG – The tail end of Philipsburg Heritage Days came to an end with Laura Mack winning $500 at cow chip bingo after two hours and fifty minutes.
Returning for a second year, Vanish the cow with her handler Erica Smith of Spring Mills, Pa, stood dedicated to the task. The traditional closure lasted for over an hour this year. The lengthy time due in part to the cow preemptively getting into the spirit while it was being brought to Philipsburg.
This year the proceeds benefit the Summer Youth Theater of the Moshannon Valley YMCA. The reigns of the vent passed on from the Lady Mounties Basketball team who had hosted the event the previous two years. The event was handed to the Lady Mounties back in 2008.
“This is just kind of my project that the Heritage Committee has had for years,” said Darla Karmushan, a member of the parent advisory board for the summer youth theater.
The theater group was be putting the fundraiser towards the Moshannon YMCA’s Cultural and Arts’ ‘Annie’ junior play next week. The junior version of the Broadway version of ‘Annie’ contains 35 actors between the ages of five and seventeen. It has also been altered to be more family friendly. The play is running from July 15 through July 17 at the Philipsburg-Osceola Mills Junior High.
There were also snacks and drinks for sale.
Over 400 tickets were sold at $5 a piece.
Cow chip bingo finally ended as back-up plans were being formulated. Vanish’s lack of cooperation was blamed on having already provided a chip en route, the heat, dehydration and pregnancy. Water, hand picked clover and other bribes were given to Vanish to help. As plans to either use a shovel to randomly throw the provided chip onto the grid or wait till the next time Vanish laid down from being “pooped out” she decided to cooperate.
