Skip to main content

Drill team fundraises with cow pies

Oct 28, 2016 01:33PM ● By Tori La Rue

The Herriman High School Drill Team poses for a picture at the W&M Butterfield Rodeo Grounds during their second annual Cow Pie Jamboree on Sept. 24. (Hillaree Larsen/Herriman High School Drill)

By Tori La Rue | [email protected] 



Herriman, Utah - Hundreds of Herriman community members gathered at the rodeo grounds on Sept. 24 eagerly watching to see where cows would drop their waste.

The spectacle was the main event of the second annual Cow Pie Jamboree, a fundraiser for the Herriman High School Drill Team, where people paid $20 to bet where a cow would take a dump.

Each participant placed a flag on the W&M Butterfield Rodeo Grounds, and four cows were released into the arena. The drill team gave prizes to the participants whose flags were closest to the first four cow pies on the arena. 

“We used to have lots of little, tiny fundraisers where we would go door to door to sell things,” said Lexi Anderson, drill captain. “It’s nice to do one big thing to get it all done at once.” 

The drill team sold about 800 tickets to the event, which Lexi Anderson said will be used to help the 36 members get to Drill nationals in Florida in March—a venture that will cost each participant about $1,400. 

Brian Fortie, who was at the event working for the Herriman City events department, bought a ticket and flag for the jamboree two hours before the event started. He claimed the $1,200 visa gift card grand prize for having the closest flag to the first cow pie. 

“It was great. It was awesome. I’m pretty lucky,” Fortie said. “I just got a new condo, so maybe I’ll buy some furniture, or maybe just save it for a rainy day.”

The second-place winner received a three-night stay in Park City, the third-place winner received $800 Visa gift card and the fourth place winner received a GoPro Hero4 action camera. 

In addition to the cow pie activities, drill team members and their family members ran face painting, basketball, pie eating, line dancing and game booths, creating a “community festival feel,” according to Laura Anderson, Lexi Anderson’s mother. 

Laura Anderson came up with the idea for a cow pie activity and festival after she saw Instagram photos of a similar event at her alma mater in Arizona. 

“Herriman has a lot of history of farming and country-style, so it seemed like a good fit,” Laura Anderson said. “I love that part about Herriman.” 

The drill team girls and parents were in favor of the activity, so they moved forward with the event. 

“At first we thought it was interesting because we’re inviting people to see where the cows were going to poop,” said Lexi Anderson. “After, we thought it was a good idea because it is a good way for them to support us and have a fun event with the community.” 

The drill team started selling tickets to family, friends and neighbors, and their family members started rounding up donations for prizes, raffles and a silent auction. The cash prizes were subtracted from ticket sales, but family members donated most of the silent auction baskets, and community sponsors donated the Park City trip. 

“It takes the effort of whole team,” Laura Anderson said. “It’s been fun to see everyone take part.”