Creative Fundraising

There’s more than one way to raise money to support programming that helps youth and families in the community. 

Arnette House, Inc., which provides an emergency youth shelter, family counseling services and foster care group homes in Marion, Lake, Sumter, Citrus and Hernando counties, has not been able to host its annual fundraising event due to the pandemic. So, they came up with a different approach this year—the Red, White & $10,000 Cash Giveaway. 

Three-hundred tickets, at $100 each, will be sold for the giveaway. The winning ticket will be drawn live on Facebook at noon on May 31 at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park. You do not have to be present to win.

To learn more about the endeavor, we did a question and answer session with Community Outreach & Development Coordinator Cindy Moore.

How did you come up with this concept for a fundraiser?

A friend of mine in South Georgia used this idea to raise money for the city recreation department and she said it worked really well for them so we thought we would give it a try, especially since we have not done our benefit and auction event for the last three years with COVID-19. And this allows us to raise much needed funds without a large in-person event. 

If you give away $10,000, what will the other $20,000 be used for? 

All of the funds will go to kids’ programs at Arnette House. These include the emergency youth shelter, a group home for girls and a group home for boys, non-residential counseling, the SNAP (Stop Now & Plan) program, spring break camps and summer camps.

Do you think the winner might donate back the $10,000?

We sure would be ecstatic if they did, but we will also be happy that someone will be $10,000 richer and never forget where it came from and how they won it.

How many tickets are still available? 

We have fewer than 100 tickets available and we are only selling a total of 300, so the odds are better than the Florida Lottery.

Who can buy tickets?

Anyone over 18 years old, other nonprofits that might need some funds, businesses and individuals. We have some local community clubs that purchased tickets to donate to charities they support. Some people are getting groups together to buy a ticket and share the winnings. Of course, only one name can go on the ticket. It’s a definite win-win situation.

Is the $100 tax deductible? 

Yes, it is, but you will have to pay taxes on the $10,000 if you are the winner. 

What are some of the “stats” for Arnette House for the last year? 

Last year we had almost 300 children who needed our shelter services, we had 12 teens in our group homes and almost 750 kids who received counseling individually, in schools and through our SNAP Program. All of our services are offered free of charge. We are currently in our 41st year providing services to families. 

What are other ways people can support your mission? 

On our website, www.arnettehouse.org, we have a list of needed products that we update every few months. We need hygiene products such as deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and toothpaste. We are always in need of towels and washcloths. 

We are doing tours of our facility again and we love for people to come and see what Arnette House is all about and doing these days. People can call me at (352) 622-6135, ext. 239, to set up a tour or find out about current donation needs. 

Tickets for the Red, White & $10,000 Cash Giveaway can be purchased at Arnette House offices at 2310 NE 24th St., Ocala, or at
www.arnettehouse.org (hit the Donate Now button at the top of the homepage and put
“Cash Giveaway Ticket” in the description).
For more information, call (352) 622-6135.