Monday, October 17, 2016

Meat Raffles and Other Weird Ways to Fund Raise

Besides cruising down rivers drinking wine and hobnobbing in the blogger world, I helped with a few unconventional fund raisers this weekend. I generally do not participate in the fundraisers that is selling stuff. I have no place to put dozens of boxes of frozen cookie dough, nor the time to get any orders delivered. I'll help, and  will have the offspring help with anything that requires physical labor like car washes or bagging groceries.This weekend though, the selling of things for choir was nontraditional.The high school hosted a mattress sale. Yes, you read that correctly. A mattress distributor that only works through schools and nonprofits in a fund raising capacity, set up a mattress store ni the school commons. Because I was busy all day Saturday and DH works, we simply promoted it to family and friends via e-mail and Facebook, as did most of the families. You never know who needs a mattress, and apparently, they have figured out that about 10% of a persons contacts are in need of a mattress every year. DD received a bonus for her direct account for each referral purchase, and the school stands to make a sizable amount to defray program costs. Has anyone heard of such a thing before? We learned a few family members purchased, and that the quality and price was good.

Yesterday, I spent a couple hours at our local watering hole selling raffle tickets. The prizes? Trays of meat.Options were everything from steaks and bacon wrapped chicken breasts, to small roasts, and beef and jerky sticks.I think this is must a Midwest thing, as I've never heard of this elsewhere, so comment if they do these where you live. Myself and four other volunteers sold in series of three, five different rounds for a total of 15 meat tray winners, color coded tickets for a spin the wheel type drawing.  Many people purchasing did so because the funds went back to the school. Still others are die hard meat raffle players, and are present every week when this occurs. 

This is a year round fundraising opportunity, but different non-profits/school clubs get different months. October is show choirs month. I think we have two more later in the school year. I've been in the bar when these have happened, bought tickets, but didn't really know the whole extent until yesterday.  As I said, there are some serious meat raffle players.  Some made sure they had a ticket from each tray each round so as not to miss out on the opportunity, and corrected us on how we were making our rounds in the bar. I thought it was just a little fun, but now wonder if it is just another feeding of someones gambling compulsion? I expected this to be just a few football fans, parents and friends of parents supporting the school, but no, there are meat raffle regulars. I guess on Saturday in the next town over there was a huge meat raffle for the football team, which another parent worked at, and it was just crazy with the amount of money raised. 

I helped raise money for the school and program and put a few dollars directly  in DD's account that will defray some costs for her trip or show choir costs later. I admit with money stretched so thin, every bit will help. What is the oddest fundraiser you ever helped out at or participated in?  What are your thoughts on meat raffles, or raffles of any kind for fundraising?

11 comments:

  1. They hold meat raffles around here too. I also partook in a gun raffle once(don't judge me).....
    They also do something here called "A Night at the Races" involving buying horses and then filmed actual races are viewed to pick the winner. I feel these are rigged tho as the organizers have knowledge of the winning steeds and can tip off their family/friends which horses to pick.
    Plus they do bingos here with a theme/prize other than $. Purse bingos, toy bingos, etc.

    My gambling of choice though are penny auctions/tricky trays/Chinese auctions/penny socials. The last 1 I went to was a year ago though and I only about 1 or less a year now. We do go to the local church auction auction still.
    Gamblers will get their thrills no matter what the game of chance is. The "drive" isn't very strong in me anymore though.

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    1. Some of those sound like a lot of fun. They could take any potential bias/cheat out of the horse race by having the chances on randomly assigned horses as opposed to letting people pick-especially if it is a race that was already run, but that one sounds like a lot of fun. LOL on the gun raffle. I like silent auctions-they don't seem like gambling, but a few times I got carried away ($500 Joe Mauer baseball bat) and was so happy someone bid over me!

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  2. Our local high school band has a mattress fundraiser and they do quite well. They also have a test drive fundraiser. The local Saturn dealer pays the band 5 bucks for every person that test drives a car on a particular Saturday. Evidently he has done it enough and sells a couple of cars every year so it is worth his time and money.
    My favorite odd fundraiser is one our church's youth group does. They get 3 very nice prizes donated (usually an I pad, set of Dewalt Power tools and a week's vacation at a beach condo) They host a mystery dinner theater and sell 3 different colored Mardi Gras beads for 10 bucks each. At specific times during the performance everyone with whatever color beads apply to the gift stands. You put your hands either on our head or your butt as they flip a coin. If you win you remain standing. By continuing the flipping process and eliminations a winner gets the prize. The longest I have ever seen it take was 6 flips. They make about 6 grand just from the bead game

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    1. At the school choir concert, the director announced a test drive fund raiser starting in a couple weeks. I can't do it-the competitor to DH. I love the Mardi Gras bean idea-so fun.

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  3. We don't have meat raffles around here. Well, none that I have heard of. And I have never heard of a mattress sale before-EVER. Hey, if it works, go for it.

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    1. One of the other parents was freaking out a little bit as the meat wasn't on ice, and lord knows how long it sat in the bar after someone won, but hey, a little illness for a good cause. We like our steaks up here!

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  4. We brits are bloody boring (I'm only speaking for myself of course don't want to offend anyone) never heard of a meat raffle and we don't have mattress sales either not for fund raising anyway good idea though lol.

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    1. I bet if there is a way to make money, some innovative booster club member will find it. If you make it my way on your travels, I will seek out a few fundraisers to take you to.

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  5. You don't come across them often these days but I have certainly heard of a meat raffle, very popular in a few pubs I have known in my time.

    I've never come across the mattress sale approach, but I think it's a fantastic idea!

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    1. I bet a British pub would be a great place for any kind of raffle. It sure brings out the competitive spirit.

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  6. I passed the hs a few times over a weekend. Finally, I saw someone near the road in the parking lot. It was the last hour of a mattress sale. I had never heard of such a thing until this summer. Meat raffle? I have never heard of that or any of the other games. I must get out more!
    pparsimony

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