Record-Breaking Night at the Family YMCA’s Annual Grand Raffle

      The Family YMCA of Fayette County hosted its highly anticipated Annual Grand Raffle Fundraiser this past weekend, and it was a record-breaking success. The event was held in the YMCA’s newest building addition — the recently completed second gymnasium — and the community showed up in full force, with over 250 attendees filling the space for an evening of food, fun, and fundraising This was nearly 50 more and a 25% increase than the Y has e

ver had attend the event.

      This long-standing tradition remains one of the largest fundraising events in the region, with proceeds supporting the YMCA’s impactful programs and services for local children, families, and seniors. The evening featured a BBQ-themed dinner catered by Ponderosa, and beverages were provided by Copper Penny and Witness Distillery, creating a festive and welcoming atmosphere.

      The energy in the room was high with an incredible lineup of live and silent auction items — more than 60 in total, many of which exceeded bids of $1,000 to nearly $3,000. Additional entertainment included a gun raffle, 50/50 drawing, pie and desert auction and other crowd-favorite money games.

      Of course, the highlight of the night was the Reverse Raffle Drawing, where 250 tickets were sold for a chance at a $10,000 prize. In this thrilling elimination-style game, ticket holders are removed from the running as numbers are drawn, leaving only 10 finalists whose choices to “split or not split” the pot determine the outcome. This year, with a mix of split and don’t split votes among the final contende

rs, suspense built as tickets were drawn and contenders eliminated — until finally, three individuals split the $10,000 grand prize. The winners this year were: Kim Major, Chad Wehrle, & Jason Carpenter.

      This is always such a great event and one of the most talked about fundraisers of the community. It’s always nice to see everyone come together like this and we are proud to be able to consistently provide a great event each year.