Small pets took center stage in a Mobile County pet store this month as the 9th Annual Herby Derby brought hamsters and gerbils together for a race with a charitable purpose. The event gets its name from the plastic containment balls the rodents run in, letting kids send their pint-sized racers rolling across a table set up in the middle of the store.
Children entered their own hamsters and gerbils, or borrowed store animals, to compete head-to-head in heats across the tabletop track. The event has grown into a local tradition over nine years, drawing families for an afternoon built around the small, fast-moving competitors.
Proceeds Support Local Schools
Beyond the entertainment, the Herby Derby serves as a fundraiser: proceeds from the race entries go directly to the Mobile County Public School System, helping support programs within the district. The recurring event has become one of several community fundraisers that channel money raised through lighthearted, family-oriented activities back into local schools.
Organizers have held the race annually, giving Mobile County children and their pets a chance to compete while raising funds for their school system in the process.