by Gerri Peterson The 9th annual Hooker County Community Foundation Raffle was held last Saturday night, Oct. 4 at the Hooker County Community Center.
Proceeds from the event benefit the community center.
In the last year, the Hooker County Community Center was used over 80 days for events such as weddings, family reunions and dinners, graduation receptions, branding dinners, funerals, blood drives, rodeo Bible camp, meetings and other community events.
To rent the Hooker County Community Center, all of the information is found at www. hookercountyfairgrounds.com, or call 308-546-2320.
About 211 steak dinners were served on Saturday before 150 numbered ping pong balls were drawn one by one in hopes that your number wouldn’t be announced - as the last ball drawn was the winner of the $5,000 grand prize.
Ryan Ridenour’s ball was the first ball out, winning a Mullen Bronco Fan Package courtesy of Mullen Public Schools and the HCCF with a Mullen Bronco tumbler and blanket, $100 to 4J Designs for Bronco apparel, a family MHS activity pass for next school year and $100 to spend at the concession stand.
Every tenth ball drawn had the chance to play the Human Slot Machine. The player would buzz the three humans to stop the slot machine roll and the “machine” would then hold up oranges, bananas or gold 7s. Participants got three pulls on the slot machine and $5 for any pull that resulted in two of a kind. A jackpot was three of a kind, with a progressive jackpot increasing by $50 each player if it hadn’t been hit. Every person who played walked away with at least $5, and the biggest jackpot winner walked away with $350 - plus $5 from a two of a kind. The ticket holder had to be present to play. The Human Slot Machine cash was donated by Dayspring Bank.
Soon there were only 10 balls left. The ticket holders of those balls were seated at the front of the room for some extra suspense - 9 of the 10 were present. They were drawn in the following order: Megan Andersen, Charlie Wright, Brock Kumke, Helen Neumeyer, Calli Edis, David Kraye and Mark Hassett.
As each of their names were announced, they got to choose an envelope numbered between 1-7, with various prizes in them. The lucky envelope that won a free ticket to next year’s event was chosen by Calli Edis.
It was then down to Paula Rice (last year’s $5,000 winner), Shirley Sweet and Andrea Newman.
Paula Rice won 4 Husker football tickets to the Northwestern game on Oct. 25, donated by her parents - Dick and Jo Macke - and $200 cash.
Andrea Newman won the Eat Local package with $50 worth of Sabbiatos pasta donated by Deb Cox and gift certificates purchased by the foundation for $50 to Stichka Sweets, $150 to Highway 2 Depot, $150 to Red’s Cafe, $300 to the Butcher Block and $400 to Macke’s Grocery Store.
And Shirley Sweet won the $5,000 grand prize!
An addition to this year’s event was a silent auction - thank you to all of those donors (listed below) and to everyone who bid on the items!
Thank you to MC Bill Boyer; grill masters Doug Deibler, Ryan Ridenour, Eric Deibler and Mike Kvanvig; Macke’s Grocery; Dayspring Bank; Consolidated; Mullen Public Schools; Gregg and Dawn Mallory; Dick and Jo Macke; Jodi Jacobs; Sabbiatos; Adams Bank & Trust; Farm Credit; silent auction donors Bar Lazy S Ranch, Barb Svoboda, Casey Peterson LTD, Glidden Canoe Rental, Hooker County Tribune, Gateway Realty North Platte, Kraye Angus, Maple Park Dental, Michael and Kellie Hoffmann, Minnow Bucket, Mullen Auto & Diesel, Phelps Family Dentistry, Platte Valley Women’s Healthcare, Ridenour Land & Cattle, Rooted Touch Massage, Sandhill Fertilizer, Sandhills Horizon Massage and The Corner Boutique; everyone who helped sell tickets especially to Traci McCully; and all of the other volunteers who helped put on the event!