Getting (and giving) goats for charity

MOSES LAKE — Next Friday might be a good day to get someone's goat.

At least, for the Moses Lake branches of the Horizon Credit Union, it is.

Teams at the credit union's Stratford Road and Safeway branches offer a goat-a-gram May 4 as part of their fund-raising effort for Relay For Life.

Safeway Branch Manager Jeane Hunt and Stratford Branch Manager Juanita Richards are co-captains of the Moses Lake-based team for the credit union, called the Horizon ATMs.

In this particular instance, "ATM" stands for All-Terrain Maniacs, Hunt said with a laugh.

The credit union, headquartered in Spokane Valley, has five teams in various Relay for Life programs, she added. The overall goal is $10,000.

If the credit union's teams raise $7,500, several female employees plan to cut their hair for Locks of Love.

Meanwhile, in Moses Lake, members of the business community might just find themselves facing a pygmy goat sometime May 4.

How the program works is a person gives the credit union $10 and a person's name. The credit union plans to deliver the pygmy goat to that person, who will in turn match the $10 to get the goat out of the office and pick another name of someone within a Moses Lake business or in town for the next delivery.

"It's kind of like a goat chain letter," Hunt explained. "From there, the goat goes from name to name, and we don't know who we're delivering to until you give me a name. Once I get to whoever you send it to, I have no idea who they're going to send it to."

All proceeds go to Relay for Life and are tax deductible.

The first name has already been chosen.

It isn't possible to prepay for the goat, Hunt said.

Twenty dollars ensures a person does not receive the goat again.

Hunt said she got the idea because her sister had used a similar method to raise money for United Way and the Special Olympics, using a pig.

Along with the goat, several credit union employees will enter the businesses with a large milk bucket, soliciting donations for Relay For Life.

"I think it's a great way to raise money," Richards said. "It's a great way to inspire people."

If it's a success, Hunt said the goat may go around again before the relay May 18.

The branches are also offering bake sales and have raised more than $1,000, Hunt said.

"We have a lot of people (cancer) has touched in our own lives," Hunt said. "Horizon as a whole, we are really into giving back to the community. Because we've had had so many people who actually worked for us that have been touched by it, or a family member, we know it really does help if everybody just gives a little time and a little effort."

The goat-a-gram is offered May 4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.