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?