Taking care of injured and abandoned donkeys and horses is an expensive endeavor, and to help pay for their care Carolina Corral owner Dana Bartlett has organized a donkey softball game Saturday. It begins at 3 p.m. at the Coral Bay ballfield.

Softball players must ride the donkey around the bases after hitting the ball. Outfielders have to ride their donkeys to retrieve the ball.

Bartlett first started looking after the island’s donkeys, horses and any other animals that needed care in 1993. Along the way, she opened Carolina Corral, a small company that takes tourists on horseback rides in the Coral Bay area. She continued to take in strays that had no hope of ever earning a living.

“It’s my passion,” she said, adding that she currently has 10 animals that aren’t pulling their weight. Two are donkeys hit by cars as they roamed St. John with their families. St. John has a large feral donkey population that dates to the days when they were used as transportation.

In addition to the donkey softball game, the event includes games for children and adults at 4 p.m., including tape the tail on the donkey, land crab races, rope the goat, sack races, coconut toss, horseshoes and pony rides.

Barbeque and snacks will be available.

The entry fee is $25 for donkey riders and $12 for non-riders. Children age 12 and under are free.

Call Bartlett to play softball or to volunteer. Donations are appreciated for food and drink. Call 693-5778 or 227-9622.