Wendell Foster hosts 50/50 holiday raffle (Messenger-Inquirer)

Extra cash comes in handy during the holidays, and Wendell Foster just opened a fundraiser that could help some lucky person.

The nonprofit that serves people with disabilities is hosting a 50/50 holiday raffle.

Tickets cost $1 each. Whoever holds the winning ticket will win half the pot.

Play Now – $1/entry

Better yet, people nationwide can participate, so the prize could grow quite large, said Doug Hoyt, Wendell Foster CEO.

In a soft opening, raffle tickets went on sale at 4 p.m. Monday, Hoyt said. The nonprofit posted the raffle on its Facebook page Monday, and, within two hours, about 30 Wendell Foster friends had shared the post.

By Tuesday morning, nearly $600 worth of tickets sold.

“It’s affordable to virtually everyone,” Hoyt said. “You can choose to spend as little as you want or as much as you want.”

Hopes are running high for this fundraiser, he said. Wendell Foster officials expect to raise more than $100,000.

The holiday raffle does two things for the nonprofit, Hoyt said. First, it’s a fundraising opportunity, but it’s also a “friend-raising” event because it has the potential to raise awareness about Wendell Foster nationwide.

For example, someone from California already purchased a raffle ticket, he said.

It made sense to make the raffle a nationwide event, Hoyt said. Wendell Foster supporters live nationwide. The nonprofit’s residential facility houses clients who have family members scattered across many states.

“It’s an opportunity for them to help out,” Hoyt said.

Proceeds from the raffle will be used to renovate Wendell Foster’s Green Outpatient Therapy Facility.

Earlier this month, the nonprofit announced it had received a $100,000 donation from the Marilyn & William Young Foundation to be used to renovate the 34-year-old building. The Green Outpatient Therapy Facility serves more than 600 people with disabilities annually.

The renovation project is estimated to cost $511,686.

From the beginning, Wendell Foster officials said fundraising would play an important role in the project’s completion.

With the 50/50 holiday raffle, the winner and Wendell Foster both win, Hoyt said. “This is a way we can give back to the community, and the community can give to us.”

Raffle tickets will be on sale through Dec. 10 at https://go.rallyup.com/wendellfoster5050. Because of COVID-19, all ticket sales will be online only.

The winning ticket will be announced at noon on Dec. 11.

The winner must be a legal U.S. resident and at least 18 years old at the time of entering.

Wendell Foster board members and employees cannot participate.

For more information about the raffle, contact John Gleason, Wendell Foster community outreach director, at [email protected].

Renee Beasley Jones, 270-228-2835, [email protected].
https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/wendell-foster-hosts-50-50-holiday-raffle/article_21606ab2-c1d1-5b0e-8877-7477833cc5f1.html