NATCHEZ &8212; The first ever &8220;Battle of the River&8221; donkey basketball fundraiser provided the 300 or more fans in attendance with the most raucous and entertaining fun in the name of charity that the Miss-Lou has seen in quite a while.

The event began with the opening tip-off and was followed up by 32 minutes of utter hilarity, as participants pulled, prodded and pleaded with their donkeys to no avail.

If an event featuring local ministers, teachers, businessmen and politicians riding donkeys while trying to play basketball sounds absurd &8212; that&8217;s because it was.

&8220;Oh my goodness! This is absolutely ridiculous,&8221; Vidalia First Baptist Church Minister Dan Glenn said after the first quarter.

While no one in attendance could stop laughing during the opening minutes, no one on the floor could either.

&8220;I spent the first five minutes crying I was laughing so hard,&8221; Vidalia High School Softball Coach Jenny Hall said.

Hall was easily the star of the game as she picked the most docile of the donkeys and positioned herself beneath the basket for much of the game.

While Hall had no trouble at all, the other participants were bucked, kicked and dragged up and down the floor for the entirety of the game.

&8220;This sucker here doesn&8217;t want anyone to ride him,&8221; Roy Smith, Relay for Life Co-Chairman, said.

&8220;I think I got stuck with the donkey from hell,&8221; Mark Ensminger said.

Emcees Porky Smith and Teri Taylor provided the halftime entertainment by racing to place a diaper on a donkey. Cakes were auctioned off between quarters and fetched anywhere from $14 to $52.

Everyone from mayors Hyram Copeland and Phillip West to the fans in attendance agreed that the event was a roaring success.

&8220;This was the most fun I&8217;ve had in quite a while,&8221; said Kim Gammill, who came out just to cheer on the spectacle with friends.

Team Copelend bested team West 18-10, but the real winner was the American Cancer society, which received all of the monies raised from the event.

Although specific figures were not available, event coordinators said that they had hoped to raise between $3,000 to $4,000.

&8220;This was a huge success and a great event for the Miss-Lou,&8221; Smith said. &8220;People should know that every penny raised tonight will benefit Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.&8221;