Dear Manchester-Essex Club Member,
We are excited to share that our “Run the for Roses” Raffle has officially started! Our Club has a total of 300 tickets that we will be selling for $100 each. The winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, May 1st, 2021 (Kentucky Derby Race Day.)
Cash Prizes include:
$7,500 Grand Prize
$1,500 Second Prize
$1,000 Third Prize
That’s better than a 1 in 300 chance of winning, which are GREAT odds!
Each ticket is numbered 1 – 300. We will keep a running list of the ticket #’s assigned to each Rotary member (enclosed) and we’ll also need to know the name of each ticket purchaser and the number on the ticket.
We are asking each member to sell five (5) paper tickets like last year. If you believe you will sell more than 5 get back to Mike Storella or Dot Sieradzki ASAP and they will send you more tickets, please specify how many you will need. Dot will be mailing the tickets out very shortly so look for them in your mailbox. If you haven't already done so make sure to update your mailing address.
A nice little side raffle will be for the members who sell tickets, each ticket you sell will be an entry for you into a $100 drawing, for a little extra fun.
How to sell and collect payment for raffle tickets:
You can take a check or cash for payment, it’s easier if they make it out to the club (see below.) If they give you cash or write a check made out to you, or pay you in some other way, you will need to write a check to the club. We are not allowing you to pay for the tickets on the club website.
Make checks out to Manchester-Essex Rotary Club.
Mail to P.O. Box 403, Manchester, MA 01944, or mail to Club Treasurer Marcia Hubbard, 5 Keystone Road, Gloucester MA 01930, or hand the checks/cash and ticket stubs to Marcia.
Put raffle ticket number on all checks and mark paid.
Venmo and Paypal: if you use these or other electronic payment methods between you and raffle ticket buyers, then write a check to the club for that amount.
Give buyers their part of the paper ticket for their records, or their number. We are keeping a master list with every buyer and their ticket number. The plan is to use numbered ping pong balls, a lá Bingo, for a live online drawing.
Please sell your tickets and get the stubs and payment to Marcia by April 21. Please return all unsold tickets to Mike Storella by April 16.
Tips on how to sell tickets
Some of you have already been talking it up and have pre-sold tickets. Keep up the great work! For others, we realize this may seem a bit daunting so we have called on a few members to put together the following FAQ and list of tips & tricks to get everyone off to a great start.
Bottom line: This raffle is our opportunity to drive much needed funding; allowing us to continue to support our local communities and organizations as they have grown accustomed.
Selling FAQ and Tips:
How much does the M-E Rotary Club typically raise from annual fundraising events (KY Derby, RWB Breakfast & Annual Golf Tournament)?
Approximately $40K
Where does the money go?
M-E Rotary supports organizations like The Open Door, Beverly Boot Straps, Essex Shipbuilding Museum, Friends of Essex Memorial Park and many others. When the pandemic put us into lockdown we were able to immediately direct $6,000 to The Open Door and Beverly Boot Straps to feed those most in need.
In addition, our club distributes $10,000 annually for scholarships to High School Seniors who have a financial need and align with our “Service Above Self” motto. This year, a total of six Seniors will receive a scholarship in varying amounts.
Why should I buy a $100 raffle ticket?
Your purchase of a “Run the Roses” Raffle ticket will allow the M-E Rotary Club to continue to support Cape Ann organizations who have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Who should I target when selling raffle tickets?
EVERYONE…your friends, family, business partners, co-workers, poker club, golf league, beach buddies (you get the picture)…everyone in your network. Those who you expect will give, may not and those who you don’t expect, will. The only way to identify those who will give is to ask everyone! Some may surprise you!!
Can someone buy more than one ticket?
Yes! If someone is feeling extremely generous and buys multiple raffle tickets, thank them profusely! Not only does it increase their odds of winning a cash prize, but they can feel good knowing the money raised will help those in need.
Will taxes be taken out of the cash prize winnings?
No. The winner will receive the full amount of the winning prize. The winner will later receive a 1099 to submit when they file their annual taxes.
How will we know who won the winning tickets?
The winning tickets will be pulled via FaceBook Live for all to witness & celebrate, please go to our FaceBook page to get the details on the time.
Kentucky Derby Raffle Committee
Jen Doane (jendoane2014@gmail.com) 617-997-3772
Dot Sieradzki (DotSieradzki@gmail.com) 978-526-8040
Mike Storella (m.storella@comcast.net) 781-710-2475