RAFFLES, EVENTS, ETC.

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 Top.     Raffle or Events --Current.    Raffles --Info.
   Raffles or Events --Past.    Prizes and Matches Wanted.    Snapshots.
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Raffle or Events --Current.

P. Buckley Moss artwork raffle ends 10 October 2004! Just 1000 tickets to be sold. Click for detail or ticket reservations.

For past events, see:   Raffles or Events --Past.

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Top.     Raffle or Events --Current.    Raffles --Info.
   Raffles or Events --Past.    Prizes and Matches Wanted.    Snapshots.
Text-to-speech software users can read this website's sidebar link list by clicking here.

Privacy.
Privacy will be respected! While many organizations use contact information gathered during raffles or events to generate telemarketing databases or bulk-mailing lists, Valley Voice Friends never has and never will. Losing tickets are shredded (to protect the privacy of participants). The holder of the winning ticket would need to be contacted (in order to arrange prize-delivery, of course). On rare occasions, a participant might need to be contacted in order to clarify ticket-order details, but such contacts would not be for the purpose of fundraising. So that the public may confirm that there was an actual winner, the winning ticket number (or an image of the actual winning ticket) will appear on this website --along with a partial name of the winner. Actual winner contact information (phone, street address) will not be posted.

Purpose.
Valley Voice reading service for the blind needs money to buy electronics, equipment, programs, and support supplies. In fact, Valley Voice needs more money than donations (and shrinking State support) can provide. Valley Voice's "booster" group, Valley Voice Friends (a private-sector, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization) raises several thousand dollars each year through raffles and other events. Funds are put into a non-governmental bank account for Valley Voice's rapid use. Valley Voice Friends uses the account to buy equipment and supplies for Valley Voice's use. For a few years, most money for Valley Voice's loaner Subcarrier receivers and Cable TV expansion equipment came from the Valley Voice Friends. In three years, Valley Voice was able to increase by 400% the number of blind and print-impaired people it could serve --thanks to the activities of Valley Voice Friends.

Odds.
Odds vary depending on participation. Odds are far better than a lottery! Typical state lotteries have a fixed number of possible ping pong ball number combinations, so their odds of picking a particular number are always "one in seven-point-two-million" or some such figure. However, these raffle tickets are only competing with those of the other people who saw our raffle table and stopped to buy a ticket (plus the very few people who might buy on-line). At most, a few hundred competing tickets might involved --it depends on how many tickets we manage to sell. One of the tickets issued will win. In theory, if only one ticket sells, then the buyer of that one ticket would be assured of victory.

Organization.
As a State agency, Valley Voice reading service for the blind is prohibited from holding fundraising raffles of its own. Valley Voice's "booster" organization, called Valley Voice Friends (V.V.F.) administers such fundraisers. Valley Voice Friends has no paid staff. It is run by an all-Volunteer board. Many of the Volunteers who staff raffle tables are from the ranks of Valley Voice's Volunteer readers. Raffle activity is not done on the State's "clock"; it is done on the Volunteers' own private time. While there might happen to be State workers present in the pool of raffle Volunteers, they are giving their time freely, unpaid, as private citizens, during their "off hours". Raffle display materials are not bought with State funds --in fact much of the materials (from graphic art to the folding chairs and display easel) are borrowed from (or home-made by) Volunteers. Raffle display materials are transported to and from sales venues in Volunteers' private cars --not State vehicles. Valley Voice Friends is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Federal "tax number"/"I.D."/EIN: 54-1966173 ). Funds are put into a non-governmental bank account for Valley Voice's rapid use. Valley Voice Friends uses the account to buy equipment and supplies for Valley Voice's use. Annual income from raffles currently falls well below the limit over which a special charitable gaming license would be needed. Such a credential will be obtained if a year's income ever seems likely to increase significantly. For regulations (located on an off-site webpage) you can click here. Income figures verifiable by reading Valley Voice Friends IRS 990 forms, posted at www.guidestar.org

Disclaimers.
Participation in a raffle held by Valley Voice Friends constitutes agreement: 1.) To WITHHOLD FROM LIABILITY (for damages [actual, estimated, implied, punitive, or any other]; negligence; or any other cause) any individual or entity associated directly or indirectly with the raffle, including (but not limited to): direct or indirect Points-of-Sale including (but not limited to) WalMart, Green Valley BookFair, P.Buckley Moss Museum, Valley Voice Friends, Marrow Family Eye Care, any service organization, or any individual; direct or indirect Prize Providers, including (but not limited to) P.Buckley Moss Society, Ms Moss, Mr. Henderson, Dr. Marrow, or any other Prize Provider (past, present, or future); any directly or indirectly related Third Party including (but not limited to) James Madison University or any of its subdivisions, Public Radio WMRA, Valley Voice, the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its subdivisions, any organ of government, any government worker or contractor, United Parcel Service, USPS, NFL, Washington Redskins, Donovan's Framery; any direct or indirect Media Participant including (but not limited to) any broadcaster or media outlet publicizing (or in any way speaking of) the raffle, any entity or individual involved with printing (or dissemination) of print information about the raffle including (but not limited to) Kinko's copies, Print Express, Kwik Kopy, Copy Max, or other printers; any individual or entity associated with the physical or electronic Posting or Publication of raffle-related speech; 2. That all above parties shall be exempt from any responsibility or liability of any sort arising (directly or indirectly) from the use of, non-use of, handling of, transportation of, presence of, non-presence of, availability of, non-availability of, the raffle Prize/s; 3. That all above parties shall be exempt from any responsibility or liability of any sort arising (directly or indirectly) from any disaster, civil disturbance, act of God or Nature, unforeseen circumstance, or any other cause which might affect the Prize's use, usability, condition, or other attribute. (Note: most corporate names listed above are registered trademarks of their respective owners -all rights reserved.)

Top.     Raffle or Events --Current.    Raffles --Info.
   Raffles --Past.    Prizes and Matches Wanted.    Snapshots.
Text-to-speech software users can read this website's sidebar link list by clicking here.

Hot Dog sale, Red Front supermarket outdoor snack shack.
Ended: 29 Oct. 2002.
Raised at least: $530.

P.Buckley Moss 2002 print raffle.
Winning ticket: #815126.
Held by: Carrie H. of Weyers Cave, Va.
Ended: 1 Nov 2002.
Raised at least: $3400.

Washington Redskins 2002 raffle DreamSeats Package.
Winning ticket: # 814419.
Held by: Ms Lending, Harrisonburg VA.
Ended: 1 Oct. 2002.
Raised at least: $350.

P.Buckley Moss 2001 print raffle.
Winning ticket: #788607
Held by: Ms Thompson, Rockingham county VA.
Ended: 4 Nov. 2001
Raised at least: $4100

P.Buckley Moss 2000 print raffle.
Winning ticket: #942714
Held by: Brenda Young, VA.
Ended: 5 Nov. 2000
Raised at least: $3500.

Top.     Raffle or Events --Current.    Raffles --Info.
   Raffles or Events --Past.    Prizes and Matches Wanted.    Snapshots.
Text-to-speech software users can read this website's sidebar link list by clicking here.

Some items would serve better as prizes than others. Items should have a market value high enough to merit the planning and Volunteer time involved with staging a well-run raffle. However, items with an extremely high value (a new car for example) would likely bring in less money through a raffle than if the same item were simply sold on the open market. Valley Voice Friends can still accept such donated items, but would likely sell (rather than raffle) them. On-air "thank you" messages publicizing the donor/s can be arranged.

Businesses, please avoid offering so-called "partial gifts": they present regulatory difficulties. Example: offering a $100 gift certificate for a store whose merchandise all costs $200 and up --the winner would have no way to use the certificate without spending. "Free" works; "free with purchase" does not.

Matches wanted.
Some major donors (business or individual) profess a preference for "helping those who help themselves":   they want to see the non-profit organization working hard "earn" the contribution. A perfect opportunity: offer to match the funds our Volunteers raise during a raffle or other event. Such challenges also serve to motivate potential ticket buyers (when a sales Volunteer can say "XYZ Corporation is matching dollar-for-dollar whatever we raise"). On-air "thank you" messages publicizing the donor/s can be arranged. Depending on their resources, donors might wish to offer a one-to-one, two-to-one, or "better" match. Gross revenues from past raffles are listed on this page.

Of course, single lump-sum gifts are also welcome. Our thanks to past raffle-related donors including:

• WalMart of Luray VA.
  P. Buckley Moss 2001 print raffle. Lump-sum gift.
  
• Pilgrim's Pride of Harrisonburg VA.
  P. Buckley Moss 2001 print raffle. Lump-sum gift.

Know of a person or corporation able to help? You can click here for the Contacting Us page.

Top.     Raffle or Events --Current.    Raffles --Info.
   Raffles or Events --Past.    Prizes and Matches Wanted.    Snapshots.
Text-to-speech software users can read this website's sidebar link list by clicking here.

Artist P. Buckley Moss (right) with Valley Voice Friends member Rob Munro (left, with guide dog) at the Moss Museum. On the easel is our 2002 Moss raffle prize: a print with two additional people painted in. The artist is an honorary Director of Valley Voice Friends. Photo: Terry Ward.
The same print pictured above on display at a V.V.F. raffle ticket sales table at Super WalMart of Harrisonburg. October 2002. Photo: Terry Ward.
Moss raffle table at Green Valley BookFair. October 2000. Photo: Terry Ward.
Moss raffle table at P.Buckley Moss Museum. October 2000. Photo: Terry Ward.
Redskins raffle of 2002 prize: front row Washington Redskins DreamSeats tickets with Purple Suite parking pass. Photo: Terry Ward.
Harrisonburg First-Nite coffee, cocoa, glow necklace sales table 2002-3. Photo: Terry Ward.