A plastic goose disguised as a turkey has been circulating around Iowa State for the last two weeks to help raise money for students who have children.

The University Child Care Committee this November launched the Fowl Play fund-raiser, in which a plastic goose is passed around from person to person in order to raise money.

Each recipient of the goose has to pay a $25 “traveling fee” to get the goose to move along to the next stop, and he or her has only 24 hours to find a new owner. A recipient can keep the goose with a payment of $500.

The goose’s journey began on Nov. 1 with ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and his wife, Kathy, and it will continue to travel until Nov. 19.

As of Wednesday, Marc Harding, director of admissions, was in possession of the goose.

Julia Hagen, program coordinator for human resource services, said the fund-raiser was a collaborative project between the university, the University Child Care Committee and the University Committee on Women.

This is the first time the goose fund-raiser has been done at Iowa State, she said.

“This was an idea from Camille Schroeder,” Hagen said. “She is an executive committee member of the University Child Care and also member of University Committee on Women. So we collaborated the two groups together to work towards this. We advocate for women, children and families. So it seems like a good project for both of us to take on together.”

All the money raised will go directly to scholarships helping university students afford child care.

“We are looking hopefully at maybe a $1,500 scholarship, or we’re just going to have to see what we get, and go from there,” she said.

Hagen said she hopes to raise as much money as possible in order to have one or two child care scholarships, and that this fund-raiser will continue next year.

“We have received a lot of interest and a lot of support,” she said. “People have been very generous. It’s been a very fun project so far.”

Evan Bloom, senior in management information systems, said the goose idea is not a typical, mundane kind of fund-raiser, but one that draws people’s attention.

“I hope the goose can find its way back home to the University Child Care Administration with a lot of dollars hanging from it,” Bloom said. “Go and find this goose a home so it can help provide scholarships towards the students so they can afford quality, dependable childcare.”

Seung Hoe Roh, junior in electrical engineering, said the goose idea would benefit the University Child Care Committee and students with children.

“It’s for a good cause. I want the goose to make as much money as possible.”

“It would’ve been much more fun, if all the students could’ve taken a part in the fund raiser. But, I am still glad that we can make donations,” Roh said.

Hagen said student groups wishing to make contributions to the fund-raiser can contact her office.

The committee has been working with the university to help students and faculty with children by providing accessible, affordable and quality child care.

It has also worked to promote the services the University Child Care offers and to raise awareness about issues facing university families.