Raffle Ticket Yields A ‘Mini’ Victory

By Kendra Bobowick

Just as Roseanne Loring predicted, “Someone is going to be very happy.” The Newtown Youth Services (NYS) director of programming made her remark just a day before raffle tickets spinning in a wheel jostled in Evelyn Farrell’s favor Saturday. Ms Farrell’s afternoon brightened with the news that she won a new Mini Cooper that had been raffled off as a NYS fundraiser ongoing since the spring.

“You won, you really won,” NYS Board of Directors member Maureen Birden said when she called Ms Farrell and tried to explain the news immediately after the drawing. A moment earlier First Selectman Herb Rosenthal had pulled Ms Farrell’s name from the raffle wheel.

Sounding distant but clear were Ms Farrell’s words at the other end of the call.

“I can’t believe it, that’s great,” she said. Ms Birden still needed to convince her that she had won.

At last Ms Farrell said, “Oh my goodness…what now, where do I pick up my car?” The 2006 blue convertible Mini Cooper is coming from MINI of Fairfield County, located in Stamford. According to Board of Directors member Joy Kopesky, Ms Farrell can pick up the car after tax and paper work is completed — approximately one week.

Ticket-sales topped 2,000 sold, bringing in funds to support NYS efforts.

“Most anytime we do a fundraiser here it’s to roll the money back into the center for programs and services,” Ms Loring explained. “We’re trying to get new programs off the ground…” The NYS has opened “STEP,” a group for stepchildren and stepparents living as blended families, Ms Loring explained. The job bank also is a popular service available through the NYS. Essentially, the program is for teens 13 and older that apply for a paying job and “someone may need a babysitter,” Ms Loring said. Additionally, “We have support groups and a number of community service groups,” she said.

“Fundraisers help us advance ideas for programs; ideas are great but we need funds and people in town are always very supportive,” Ms Loring said.

She had been “very excited” about raffling a car, which had never before been attempted. Two weekends ago saw a last push to sell tickets, and the results impressed Ms Loring.

“[The weekend] was amazing and everyone was so generous. It put us over the top…” she said. “The town has been very gracious and this has been a community effort for this raffle.”

Ms Farrell lives in Newtown and works in the tax collector’s office. For information NYS, visit its website at NewtownYouthServices.org.