The latest addition to the string of mule-related events at the Fulton Street Fair does not debut until Friday, but it already can be deemed a success.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were only a handful of tickets left of the 100 available for Mule Drop Bingo, a new fundraiser to benefit the Callaway County United Way.
For $10, ticket holders buy a square on a large mule bingo grid painted on Court Street and the chance to win half of the proceeds from ticket sales - up to $500.
A mule will be turned loose into the grid space at 5:15 p.m. Friday and will remain until the first "drop" occurs or until 6 p.m. Fulton Street Fair Co-Chair Melissa Siegel said each of the Mule Drop Bingo tickets is numbered, and the corresponding numbers will be randomly placed on the grid on Friday.
According to the official rules, the square in which the drop is made is the winner. If the mule drops in one or more squares, the square with the largest portion - as determined by a panel of three United Way volunteer judges - will be declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the winnings will be divided equally between the square holders. If the "mule drop" lands on an unsold square, the measurement will continue to move one lot north and clockwise to find a winner.
Ticket holders do not need to be present to win. In the event the mule is unable to be released onto the grid, the winner will be determined by a drawing made by the United Way at 8:15 p.m. prior to the button drawing.