Macopin School hosts 10th annual ‘Give a Goat’ night

Macopin Middle School’s “Make A Change Club” hosted its 10th annual “Give a Goat Night” event on Jan. 31.

The annual event is a family-friendly evening full of fun entertainment; all for a good cause: to effect positive change in the lives of others in need through charitable contributions.

How it began

Ten years ago, club Advisors Krista Provost, Joseph Andriulli, and their MACC students sought to find a new way to “make a change” in the world.

According to the advisors, the students conducted research and contacted organizations through writing. Following thoughtful discussions considering their options, they came up with “Give a Goat Night” as a fun and entertaining event for the community, and a way to raise money to purchase goats for impoverished families and villages in South America.

The MACC club found that Dairy goats are a tremendous gift for a poor family- they can produce several quarts of milk each day, which can also be used to make cheese, yogurt and butter to feed a family. Goat manure is used to fertilize gardens.

These resources can also provide a source of much needed income for a family.

In 2016, a single goat cost $75.

Each year since the club began its "Give a Goat Night" fundraiser, the club has raised enough money to donate approximately 20 goats to the villagers in South America, and has donated more than 200 goats over the past 10 years.

The club has expanded its endeavors over the years to include support for other charitable organizations on national, state, and local levels.

The goal each year is to select meaningful causes for which they can make a positive change, and to increase the amount of support they can provide to exceed that of previous years.

According to the advisors, students in the club learn “how to properly use voice and action to make powerful and necessary changes at local, state, national, and international levels.”

Give a Goat Night- the Event

The MACC students research and choose charitable organizations and causes each year.

Through the Give a Goat Night event, the students raise funds to help make changes by providing assistance to those in need through the chosen organizations.

Macopin teachers, staff, administrators and students team up for a specific cause.

Donned in the costumes of their chosen “Superteams” theme for the year, the staff teams compete against each other in wacky games and contests for points, for the amusement of the crowd, and above all for charity.

The students support the "Superteam" and/or charity of their choice by making donations in a bucket designated for that team/charity during their lunch periods prior to the Give a Goat Night event, and also by dressing up in team theme colors, making signs, and cheering on their team on the evening of the event.

The money collected in each donation bucket is added to the portion of Give a Goat Night profits that will be donated to that charitable cause.

The other donation monies come from proceeds from the Give a Goat Night Event: a $10 entrance fee; which includes pizza, a drink, a dessert, and an evening of amusing antics for the attendees.

In addition to the entertaining events of the evening, the MACC also provides refreshments, food, snacks, and baked goods available for purchase.

Concession proceeds help support the club in their continuing efforts to “make a change”- in their world, nation, state, and hometown community; in this year and for years and future projects to come.

"Give a Goat 2020"

According to Provost, approximately 260 guests attended the 10th event this year.

Superteam competition activities that provided excitement and amusement for the crowd included:

● Scuba Gear and Shoot

● Mermaid Madness

● Uber Course

● Protect the Fish

Donations made

The Make a Change Club was able to donate 12 goats this year to impoverished families and villages in South America, for a grand total of 224 goats donated by the club to date.