Rotary looking for a bit o’ green with Luck O’ the Irish fundraiser

The Sonoma Valley Rotary Club is hoping to put together a heaping pot o’ gold for deserving local causes.

On March 16 the club is holding its annual Luck O’ the Irish event – a rousing St. Patrick’s Day dinner party at the Moose Lodge – and its hoping to raise up to $100,000 to fund grants for a variety of local groups.

Much of the fundraising is done via the annual Luck O’ the Irish raffle.

“Members sell tickets for $50 each, which gives the buyer an opportunity to win a two-week trip for two to Ireland or $10,000,” said Beth Fox, chairperson of the event. “Four other people will win $500 each.”

The winning tickets will be drawn at the event, though one doesn’t need to be present to win.

Club members are hoping to sell all 2,000 of the raffle tickets available. Last year, club member Kanak Raj outpaced his raffle-selling Rotary colleagues by selling nearly 200 tickets.

“This fundraiser is important to the club because it enables us to do so many things,” said Raj. “It’s easy for me to be motivated to sell tickets because this is a very, very good cause.”

With money from last year’s fundraising, the club awarded a wide range of grants – from $250 to an Eagle Scout for his final project to $1,082 to Sassarini Elementary School for buddy benches on the playground to $13,810 to the Boys & Girls Club for carpet in its computer clubhouse, said Gayle Arrowood, head of the club’s grant committee.

Arrowood said the club also awards money to international projects. “We’re giving money, which is matched by other Rotary clubs, to support a much-needed eye clinic in Vernasi, India,” said Arrowood.

Event sponsorships are also invited to contribute. The $1,000 sponsorships fund the prizes, said Fox.

Arrowood concedes the grand prize trip to Ireland – or $10,000 in cash – is the “big carrot” for people to buy the raffle tickets, but he wants to remind raffle entrants that it’s also for a good cause.

“Buying a ticket really means helping us help make lives in Sonoma Valley a little better,” Arrowood said.

For raffle tickets, check out sonomavalleyrotary.org. For event sponsorships, call 338-0338.