Charitable foundation, show choir team up for ‘reverse raffle’

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The Mitchell Area Charitable Foundation and Mitchell High School show choir are partnering in a “reverse raffle” fundraiser that will last through October.

Show choir and Music Booster Club members are selling tickets for $50 each.

Unlike a typical raffle, said foundation board member Trudy Morgan, a reverse raffle saves the biggest prize for the final ticket.

“So, if you’re the last one picked, or if you never win, this might be the raffle for you,” she said.

She said the first ticket drawn will win a stay at the Barefoot Resort in the Black Hills, then prizes will be given for every 20th ticket drawn, each valued at $100 or more.

“All ticket buyers have a 1 in 20 chance to win a prize of at least a $100 value,” Morgan said.

Morgan said lesser prizes include prime rib, tickets to a Minnesota Timberwolves game, a basketball autographed by Mitchell native and professional basketball player Mike Miller, and a football jersey autographed by Mount Vernon native and Minnesota Vikings player Chad Greenway.

“There are some really cool prizes,” she said.

For the grand prize of $5,000, the last five ticket-holders drawn will be given a choice: Split the money evenly or return the tickets in an all-or-nothing attempt.

Morgan said if any of the five ticket holders doesn’t want to split the money, all the tickets will go back in the hat.

“It’s just a lot of excitement and fun,” Morgan said. “There are so many chances to win, up to the very last drawn prize. There are so many quirks to this that we think a lot of people will want to participate.”

Morgan said the foundation will begin drawing tickets prior to the main event Oct. 9. Starting Oct. 1, she said tickets will be drawn and every 20th ticket will win a prize. She said the prize winner will be notified and the win will be publicly announced.

But, even if someone doesn’t win a 1-in-20 prize, Morgan said if people pay an extra $10 for their tickets, their ticket is eligible for the “loser’s boost.”

Morgan said that means the losing ticket will be thrown back in the pot for a second chance to be drawn Oct. 9, when there are just nine tickets left.

If that weren’t enough, Morgan said there also will be a ticket available for live auction on Oct. 9.

“So a person can buy that ticket to narrow the margins,” she said.

Show choir and Music Booster Club members are in charge of ticket sales. If all 500 tickets are sold, the show choir will receive $10,000 to use to purchase new performance risers at the high school.

“If anyone’s watched them dance on those risers, they can see they get abused,” Morgan said. “After a while, they’re not very safe.”

Morgan said if all 500 tickets are not sold, the show choir likely will be compensated in comparison with the number of tickets sold.

“We’re hoping that it’s successful, that we can partner with other local charities in the future to do this type of thing,” Morgan said.

Morgan said the Mitchell Area Charitable Foundation is a local foundation that provides grants to area charitable groups. She said the foundation, which began in 1985, distributes approximately $35,000 annually.

Morgan said students will be out “in full force” to sell tickets at the next two Mitchell High School home football games on Sept. 21 and 28.

To purchase a ticket prior to those dates, Morgan said to contact her at (605) 996-5588; the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce at (605) 996-5567; or chairwomen of the Music Booster Club, Jacki Roy, Heather Grabenstein and Carol Lehr.

Tags: show choir, life, updates, raffle, local, mitchell