More than 100 members of Post 88 spent the past four months selling $10 raffle tickets for a chance to win a foursome of golf at one of 10 different golf courses in the Central New York area. On Wednesday, June 10, Post 88 members donated the money they raised — $7,500 — to the local veterans’ support organization, Clear Path for Veterans, in Chittenango.
The donated funds will all go toward the Dogs4Vets Program at Clear Path for Veterans, which is a program that allows military veterans suffering from PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) or MST (Military Sexual trauma) to train their own dog either as a service dog or as a general companion. The purpose of the program is to give the veterans and the dogs companions whose unconditional love and support helps both, according to program information.
“Anytime you have a raffle that covers dogs, veterans and golf, it’s fairly easy to sell tickets,” said fundraiser co-chair John Haynes.
This was the second year for the Post 88 golf raffle fundraiser. In 2014, the raffle raised $4,500, and awarded only one round of golf for four at Turning Stone . This year, 10 courses, both public and private, participated in the raffle, and the part of the result was total ticket sales of $7,500.
“That’s almost double what we did last year,” Gissin said. “It’s become a very popular event.”
It has become so popular, in fact, that more than 10 golf courses wanted to donate golf rounds for the raffle, so next year the Legion hopes to expand the number of golf course offerings to 18, Gissin said.
Many people were so eager to purchase raffle tickets and help the Dogs2Vets program that people who do not even play golf bought tickets, Haynes said.
One such ticket buyer had their name pulled during the drawing Wednesday, so those four golf passes will be given to four local veterans.
“We are so grateful that the first year has become the second year for this raffle,” said Lynn Fox, CNY outreach coordinator at Clear Path for Veterans. “We can’t thank enough the members of the Cazenovia American Legion for the time and effort they put into this, and all the generous golf courses who donated prizes.”
Fox said the $7,500 donated by Post 88 will go a long way toward supporting the Dogs2Vets program, the start-up costs for each dog and veteran pair of which is about $3,000. “We will be able to provide so much assistance to the veterans and their dogs through this,” she said.
Participating golf courses in this year’s Post 88 golf raffle included Barker Brook Country Club, The Cavalry Club, Cazenovia Country Club, Cazenovia Golf Club, Kanon Valley Country Club, Pompey Golf Club, Radisson Greens, The Ridge, Timber Bank and Turning Stone Resort.
The winners of the raffle and the courses they chose were: Bill Merlini – Turning Stone; Jodi LaPierre – Radisson Greens; Jim Fitzgerald – Cazenovia Country Club; Jim Cahill – Cavalry Club; L. Larrabee – Barker Brook; Elsie Smith – Kanon Valley Country Club; John Traeger donated his win to Clear Path for Veterans they will go to Cazenovia Golf Club; Mike Austin – Timber Bank Country Club; Bret Reimer – The Ridge; Robert Duffy – Pompey Golf Club; Melanie Hartyhin – Rogue’s Roost.
For more information about Clear Path for Veterans and the Dogs2Vets Program, visit clearpath4vets.com/dogs2vets-program-2.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
