GOLDEN, Colo. — School mascots vary in size and shape, and at some Colorado colleges, fans and alumni can see their mascots live at football games. At Colorado School of Mines, the loved and special mascot is Blaster the Burro, but his job is a big one to fill, and two different burros, Pepsi and Winkie, need to hold responsibilities.
"We do have two Blasters here at Mines. We do have a faster Blaster, so he's the one that you will see running a couple of games," explained Sierra Dennis, spirit chair for Mines' Blue Key. "He likes running a bit more, so that's why we have him and then we have our other Blaster, he’s our photo opportunity Blaster. He comes out to events like graduation and convocation and more social events on campus."
Seventy members of the Blue Key Honor Society, including Dennis, are responsible for Blaster when he visits campus and for maintaining campus traditions like the M Climb.
"It brings people so much joy just to have them on campus, so the alumnus absolutely love seeing Blaster, and it's so fun to watch their kids interact with him too," Dennis said.
Pepsi and Winkie took over responsibilities as the Mines mascot in 2021 when the previous racing burro from Idaho Springs retired. Winkie can be seen in action at football games, running on the field when the Orediggers score a touchdown.
"He has a very important responsibility as far as running. He is in training pretty much year-round," said Amber Wann, Winkie's owner. "We leg him up for the pack burro races here in our state, which is our state sport, and he’s always ready to roll."
On the other hand, Pepsi is known for his social abilities. He can be found at events for prospective students or in photographs with alumni.
"It brings people so much joy just to have them on campus, so the alumnus absolutely love seeing Blaster, and it's so fun to watch their kids interact with him too," Dennis said.
When they are not on the clock, the burros each have a special place to call home, with Pepsi living on The Community Farm in Arvada and Winkie living in Larkspur at ReDONKulous Ranch Sanctuary and Rescue.
"They have their burrow buddies back home, so burrows are very social animals, so they have all their buddies, but then when they get to come on campus, they get to socialize with other people, which is such a cool opportunity hopefully for them, but it's a cool opportunity for us as well," Dennis said.
These burros are leaving a lasting impact when visiting campus and in the places they roam. Megan Castle, a volunteer at The Community Farm, described the immediate affection she has felt spending time with Pepsi.
"If people are having a tough day, he's always there to kind of make sure that they know that there's someone there who cares about them, and he helps people find that good spot and find some lightness and really open up and enjoy their experience at the farm and know that they've got that love of a very special burro," Castle said.
While serving as the school mascot may be a big responsibility, these burros have each other to get the job done.
"They love all the attention from people, and they both do an amazing job at their respective jobs," Dennis said.
