The Jacksonville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary is continuing its annual holiday fundraising with a new event this year.
The 2021 Holiday Raffle in combination with other fundraisers held throughout the year, is replacing the Auxiliary’s Bazaar, which was presented annually in November for more than 65 years before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the group to reimagine its fundraising efforts.
The Jacksonville Memorial Auxiliary’s Holiday Raffle 2021 provides chances to win prizes ranging from a piece of the JHS Bowl to $100 gift certificates to use at local restaurants and shops.
Volunteer Services Coordinator for Jacksonville Memorial Hospital Gigi Patterson says those who participated in the past will find there are some changes in the new event.
Probably the most notable changes are they are a little bit more in value per package than in years past, and the ticket prices are a little more expensive. We tried to do a mid-point range with it so they are five dollars a chance. In the past, the holiday bazaar raffles had been a dollar per chance. So they are five dollars per ticket or you can get six tickets for twenty-five dollars.
For most of the packages, the starting value is three hundred dollars, up to seven or eight hundred dollars, so for that five dollars if you win you are going to get a lot for your money.”
Patterson says although the type of fundraiser and the hospital’s name have both changed since last year, the Auxiliary’s mission has not.
“The Jacksonville Memorial Auxiliary is a group of individuals who work really hard to promote the hospital out in the community. The proceeds from this raffle are going to help them fund the scholarships that they give to colleagues to further their education, nursing scholarships, other areas of education to promote from within.
And then a lot of employee appreciation and as the hospital identifies different needs sometimes they come to the auxiliary to help fund those requests so all of the raffle proceeds are going to help fund those initiatives.”
The 2021 Holiday Raffle includes 11 prize packages that Patterson says have a little something for everyone. She says another new offering this year will bring the raffle out of the hospital and into the public next weekend.
“We are going to do the drawing downtown at the Christkindl Market. We are going to have a tent set up to display the raffles so that the public can get a really good look at the raffle packages and be able to purchase tickets at that event. We are going to be set up December 10th and 11th and then we are going to have the drawing there at that event and we are going to live stream that on our Jacksonville Memorial Auxiliary Facebook page.”
Packages range in prizes from golf lessons and outing combos to items for holding the perfect girls’ night, a John Deere Gator ride-on toy stuffed with toys, an American Girl Doll package, and more.
The prize packages can be viewed on the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital Auxiliary’s Facebook page and will be on display during the Jacksonville Main Street Christkindlmarket event next Friday-Saturday, Dec. 10-11 where tickets will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $5 each or six for $25. They may be purchased ahead of time from any auxiliary member or by calling the Auxiliary Gift Shop at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital at 217-245-9541, ext. 3186.