Get your tickets early
By Jillian Chandler
“With the shortage of housing in the area, this year’s opportunity to win a home has sparked a lot of interest. Those interested in participating should purchase tickets as soon as possible,” says Hannah Slusser, development specialist for the Development Department/NIC Foundation.
2022 marks North Idaho College Foundation’s 29th annual Really BIG Raffle, their largest annual public fundraiser, with proceeds going to support student success and educational excellence.
Since 1994, the North Idaho College Foundation has partnered with the NIC Carpentry and Construction Technology Program to construct a new home in a desirable neighborhood to be raffled off as the grand prize in the Really BIG Raffle. The home serves as a hands-on learning experience for students under the direction of the program’s instructor, and in collaboration with regional subcontractors.
This year’s home, located at 1267 East Percival Avenue in Post Falls’ Greenstone Homes’ North Place Community, is a three-bedroom, two-bath rancher, with an upstairs bonus room that includes more than 2,400 square feet of living area. “The home is loaded with nice upgrades including a three-car garage, large covered patio, quartz countertops, fireplace, and fully landscaped lot,” adds Hannah. The home package has an estimated value of $515,000.
Five thousand tickets will be sold, priced at $150 each. Idaho residents can reserve tickets online at NIC.edu/rbr or by calling 208.769.3271. They can also be purchased at community outlets, including North Idaho Super 1 Foods, Buck Knives, Yoke’s Fresh Market in Post Falls, North Idaho College Foundation office and North Idaho College Workforce Training Center in Post Falls.
“Tickets for the following year go on sale immediately following the Raffle drawing (July 13 this year),” says Hannah. “We sell tickets until they are gone! However, if you want to make it into the early bird prize drawing you must purchase on or before April 30. This qualifies you to be entered in to win one of two $1,000 Costco gift cards.”
Last year, tickets had sold out by April 30, “a record sellout,” according to Hannah. “We expect it to be an even earlier sellout this year.”
At 7pm on July 13, the winning ticket will be drawn. “Audited tickets are placed in a drawing bin, and winners are manually selected by a third-party auditor from a certified accounting firm,” says Hannah. The winner will be immediately notified by phone following the event. An announcement will also go at that same evening via Facebook and the raffle e-newsletter with the list of winners. And … the winner can be found in the Spokesman and the Coeur d’Alene Press the following day.
For those interested in watching the event/drawing live, there will be a link on the North Idaho College website that night and instructions on how to watch.
If you’d like to take a chance on winning a beautiful new home, don’t wait! Purchase your ticket today—before it’s too late!