By Cody Shook, Sports Editor
The West Liberty University baseball and softball teams have teamed up in a fundraising effort in hopes to get a new indoor facility. For just $20, you can purchase a raffle ticket that will enter into a drawing where the winner will win “Roberto,” a greyhound that races weekly at the Wheeling Island dog track. The drawing will be at halftime of the homecoming football game on Oct. 14, 2017.
The baseball and softball teams are trying to get out of the Blatnik gymnasium during the winter months so that the rest of the West Liberty student body can use it on a daily basis. In past years, both teams have occupied Blatnik for practice anywhere from four to six hours on any given day. All of the equipment has been taken out of the gym and these teams are looking for a permanent home.
The brand new state of the art facility would be built in the Beta parking lot between the softball field and Beta Hall. The two teams are trying to raise this money in short amount of time so that when they come back from winter break in early January, they will have a place to practice. The indoor facility would be completely turf with hitting cages and pitching mounds.
You can purchase a raffle ticket from any baseball or softball player by either contacting one of them or going on the Facebook page “Win Roberto” and purchasing a raffle ticket online. Each player must sell 15 tickets to achieve the ultimate goal of $25,000. Each team has also already earned money from private donors and foundation members.
If you win the raffle, Roberto will be yours. He will at the Wheeling Island dog track and whenever he places high enough and wins money, you will earn half because the other half of the earning will go to the kennel that is being raised in. Roberto is currently two years old and on average, most race dogs stay in the game until they are around four years old.
If you win the raffle, you would also automatically win approximately $1,500 because that is how much he has earned over the past month. You wouldn’t be responsible for housing or feeding the dog because the kennel would take care of all of that. When Roberto is ready to retire from the racing world, you will have the option of either adopting him and or letting him be adopted by someone else.
For more information on “Win Roberto” contact head coach of the baseball team, Eric Burkle or head coach of the softball team, Herb Minch. If you would like to purchase a raffle ticket, contact Cody Shook at [email protected], or any other team member and help the baseball and softball teams build their new indoor facility.
Photo credit: Cody Shook
