Medical Lake's Friends For Children raffle a big success

Annual community fundraiser brings in almost $7,000 to help children of local families

By RYAN LANCASTER

Staff Reporter

Medical Lake Friends For Children held a sellout holiday raffle Dec. 11, raising what organizers estimated was nearly $7,000 to help the children of 37 local families this Christmas.

Local businesses and individuals donated more than 100 items including a 42 inch television, a night at the Northern Quest Resort and $250 in cash. These were raffled or auctioned off to the highest bidder Saturday at the One 14 Bar and Grill at 114 East Lake St., once the location of the Dirty Shame Tavern, which was owned by Friends founder Jim Mahony.

The One 14 was crowded on Saturday with dozens of members of the Medical Lake community, who engaged in lighthearted bidding wars and offered groans or congratulations after each raffle drawing. Two tables piled high with gift baskets, poinsettias and other gift items were gradually lightened as emcee Larry Reno called out winning names taken from a ticket tumbler.

About 5,000 raffle tickets sold for a dollar each this year, according to Friends member Marye Jorgenson. On Sunday, she and other Friends members planned to use about $4,800 to purchase Christmas gifts and clothing for 81 local children, from toddlers to teenagers, whose parents had pre-registered for assistance. Jorgenson said the number of families requesting aid this year was higher than usual.

For more than 15 years the 35-member group has held a variety of annual fundraisers, including several Founder's Day benefits, an August golf tournament and the holiday raffle/auction. Proceeds from all of these support college scholarships and programs for local students and go to Medical Lake families in need of financial help.

For more information on Friends For Children, call (509)299-7494.

Ryan Lancaster can be reached at [email protected].