Library celebrates Stampede with breakfast and its chicken-poop lottery

Medicine Hat Public Library’s Stampede breakfast had it all — pancakes, sausage before a parade and then gambling with animals.

In what’s proving to be a crowd pleasing fundraiser, the Second Annual Cock-aDoodle-Poo contest concluded the morning festivities at the main branch.

The Giant Chessboard adjacent was divided into squares, and marked off to represent $20 tickets sold this spring.

The fowl was again provided from the Riverview Greenhouse petting zoo, and it produced a winner a mere moment after being carefully placed on a randomly drawn square.

Greg Herman is the winner of $5,000 prize, and Friends of the Library society takes a same-sized share from the fundraising lottery.

“Everybody cheered, but it’s a bit more fun with anticipation,” said the library’s Gillian Reimer.

Though the result was quick, it is official, according to rules, filed with Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, that provided the lottery licence.

The event capped the morning that again saw the library host patrons, volunteers and the general community for a pancake breakfast.

Held prior to the downtown parade, it drew hundreds to the library’s parking lot on the corner of First Street and Fourth Avenue. That’s a block west of the parade’s first corner turn, and right at its official endpoint.

Many stopped by early for breakfast then took up their stations further east in the downtown core.

“We had a lot of people out and a lot of fun thanks to our volunteers,” said Reimer, citing the help of the Saamis Rotary Club, the Friends of the Library and others.

NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER Tanya Tucker performs her hit “Some Kind of Trouble” Thursday evening at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede’s night show. Joan Jett and the Black Hearts take the stage Saturday evening after The Guess Who, which goes on at 8 p.m.

NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Christy Vince provides face-painting services to young attendees of Thursday’s annual Medicine Hat Public Library pancake breakfast prior the start of the Medicine Hat Stampede parade.

NEWS PHOTOS COLLIN GALLANT Attendees to the Medicine Hat Public Library’s Stampede breakfast enjoyed pancakes, sausages and refreshments prior to the start of Thursday’s parade.

NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Svea Boylan survey’s the scene on the lawn of the Esplanade, near the Medicine Hat Public Library’s pre-parade Stampede Breakfast, on Thursday morning.