Achi news desk-
In 1994, a rogue cow was the talk of the town in Bedford, NS Now, 30 years later, Charles P. Allen High School (CPA) is marking an infamous anniversary with the return of cow patty bingo.
At the time, cow patty bingo was an annual fundraiser for some schools in the Halifax area. The game goes like this: the school field is marked with squares which are then numbered and sold. If the cow does her business on your square, you are the lucky winner.
A cow is led onto the field at Charles P. Allen High School on May 22, 2024.
When a CPA student brought the cow into the field in 1994 it broke free.
“I was holding on to the cow when she came out and she got nervous and, when she got nervous because of all the people, she shook and broke her harness. He went into the forest,” said the student at the time.
The school was located on Rocky Lake Drive in Bedford. Students and police chased the cow through the neighborhood, drawing the attention of homeowners and even the local media.
In the end the cow was tranquilized and returned to her owner.
Now, CPA students are bringing back cow patty bingo to raise money for their carnival.
“Carnival is a long standing tradition here at CPA,” said Marc Johnson, Grade 10 representative.
“We even had bouncy castles. We have three, we have one in the cafeteria, some in the gym, it’s going to be great. The whole school is like one big carnival.”
Pictured is a cow on the Charles P. Allen High School field on May 22, 2024.
Johnson says the event is more than just raising money, it’s also an opportunity to improve school spirit.
“The cow got away (in 1994) and now we brought her back to sort of finish unfinished business here at CPA,” he said.
A cow is led onto the Charles P. Allen High School field on May 22, 2024.
The students sold almost all of their 650 cow squares.
“They were pretty much bought by students, staff, the administration team, everyone wanted a few dibs on this to win the $400 grand prize,” Johnson said.
“Usually cows defecate a couple of times an hour but, because there were a lot of people here, students were inside watching to keep the cow quiet so we didn’t disturb her or scare her too much. “
After waiting for three hours, the cow finally chose her special spot and declared a winner.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Paul DeWitt.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
