By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The Caribou Rotary Club’s annual Cash Draw is back once more with its large cash prizes, but this year organizers have tweaked one facet of the popular fundraiser to help encourage early sales.
Everyone who purchases a ticket before Friday, Nov. 16 automatically is entered into an Early Bird drawing for $500; this new early bird draw replaces the door prize drawing that used to take place the night of the Cash Draw.
“It’s an incentive to try to get people to purchase their tickets a little bit earlier,” explained Caribou Rotary Club President Elect and Rotary Draw Chair Ryan Ellsworth.
Tickets are $60 for one and $100 for two; each ticket admits one to the highly popular Cash Draw event, which annually attracts between 200-300 people to the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
“Your odds of winning something are pretty good,” Ellsworth explained.
Prizes include: a $6,000 grand prize, $5,000 second prize, $4,000 third prize, one $1,000 prize, one $500 prize, five $250 prizes and 40 $100 prizes.
While the special Early Bird Draw will take place shortly after the Nov. 16 deadline, the main event kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 8. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the draw will take place at 8 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres are included in the ticket price and a cash bar will be available as well for those of age.
All proceeds will help the Caribou Rotarians fund special projects and donations throughout the year; past projects include assisting with the creation of the Caribou Ski building at the high school and helping fund the new scoreboard at the Caribou Little League Field.
Though a limited number of tickets are sold for the club’s primary fundraiser, there are still plenty to go around as Rotarians just received their tickets on Sept. 26.
Adults 18 and over can purchase tickets from any Caribou Rotarian, and if they don’t know a Caribou Rotarian they can call Ellsworth at 498-8756.
