Sending goats for money

In an effort to raise funds, many Green River residents were presented with a goat.

During the United Way of Southwest Wyoming’s Goat-A-Gram fundraiser Monday, residents throughout Sweetwater County were faced with a choice -- keep a goat for a half an hour or pay $25 to have it taken away.

Volunteer Rachelle Morris said it’s all in good fun and a great way to raise money for the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library fund.

The imagination library program gives one free book a month to children from birth to age five, but residents must register for the program and can do so at http://www.swunitedway.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library.

To raise money for this program, the last couple of years the United Way of Southwest Wyoming has decided to send Goat-A-Grams.

“This is so much fun,” Morris said. “We did it last year.”

Morris was referring to herself and her son, Jaxon, who helped deliver the goats last year and was ready for another round this year.

Morris said participants can send a goat to someone’s house for $35. When the goat arrives unannounced to the resident, they can either pay $25 for it to leave immediately or they can hang out with the goat for a half an hour. The receiver of the goat also has the option to pay $10 to find out who sent the Goat-A-Gram to them.

The house Morris was at chose to pay the $25 because they said it was for a good cause. Morris would then thank them for supporting the United Way.

This time, Morris was going to 11 Green River houses and businesses, more than she visited last year.

At each stop, she gets the goat out of the kennel and carries it up to the house. She then rings the doorbell or knocks on the door and waits.

It might be different people, but the response it usually about the same.

First, a look of shock and then a smile on their face when they see the cute baby goat in Morris’ arms.

Morris who is an employee at the Young at Heart Senior Center, said her center receives a lot of funding from the United Way and this is a good way for her to give back.

“It’s a fun way to spend your day,” Morris said.