I figured I’d pick you guys brains on this one. I’m putting on a gun raffle for my cousins son. He’s 13 yrs old and diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, which is a form of cancer that tries to get into the bones. He is a deer hunter and plays football for his school and is fighting this disease with everything he’s got. A little bit about the demographics are that it’s a middle to upper middle class area with a lot of young teens (his friends) who will also be present. My first instinct was what appeals to me, like a 12ga. Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 or something exciting like that. At $20 a ticket or 6 for $100 with 500 total tickets sold, I thought it sounded great. That would generate roughly $8500-$10000. After paying for the gun it would bring a couple grand less than that for the cause. After mixed opinions on the gun choice, it came to my attention that I may be only catering to the older males that waterfowl hunt at an event that would be flooded with women and children also. So my question is if any of you guys have a good idea for a gun that would cater to a broader audience but not one of the “old news” guns that everyone has already (Rem 870’s, mossberg 500’s) etc. It also came up that the $1750 for the Benelli is a steep price to make up before we start making profit. Sorry for the long read. Any help, ideas, or opinions appreciated. Also... I was leaning toward shotguns because A. Illinois, not much rifle hunting here. B. The area is saturated with waterfowl hunters old/young, male/female. C. A catholic school is hosting the event so I didn’t think an AR was appropriate lol.
Be sure to check your state raffle laws first. There can be a lot of BS to go along with raffle licenses and when dealing with firearms, you add a whole new level of BS. Because of that, you might raffle off a gift card to a Scheels or local gun shop for a specified amount and the winner can use it to purchase anything they want. Then you eliminate a lot of hassles. But, I also understand that its cool to have the item at a fundraiser for display. Maybe the shop would bring a few guns to your fundraiser event as examples of what someone could choose? I certainly wish the young man all the best and hope he kicks cancers butt.
This is kinda what ppl do around here. Theres a local hunting/sports store that donates firearms whenever there's a raffle. They'll bring the guns for display but if you win you get a certificate that you take in to the store then they do the paperwork and deal with all that. I won a pistol at a event once and that's all I had to do. Our local gun range does it every year too and they just have a ffl present for the paperwork. It'd be worth looking into but from what I've seen happen at other events around here as long as theres either a ffl present for paperwork or you give out some kind of coupon for the winner to present the gun shop I'm not sure there's much more to it. The person would still haveta pay for the paperwork and do the waiting period, which is now 3 days for everything in IL, but I would think wherever you buy the gun would do that. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I run raffles all year long. I know that it's for a good cause and that alone will sell tickets. However 600 tickets is a lot to get rid of and on top of that from a purchaser stand point the odds being a 1 in 600 chance of winning aren't very appeling. If you want, shoot me a PM with your # and I can give you a call and help you out. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Thanks much. It IS a hassle. Thankfully I’ve got a good coach to help me through this. My Grandpa was a Commander at our local VFW and also a retired Illinois State Trooper. That said he’s put on a bunch of raffles like this. He helped me do a handgun for another benefit so at least I have help with the red tape and hoops.
Perfect! I used to do a few for different wildlife organizations and for some non-profits and it was a hassle until I learned the process. Also, I have the Benelli SBE II and love it. They really do make a great gun.
