Catholic Education Home Raffle

Update: Deadline extended to March 18, 2017.

How would you like to win a beautiful, brand new home estimated to be worth $200,000?

It could be yours for $100 by purchasing a Catholic Education Home Raffle ticket.

The Home Raffle project is a collaboration between Sts. Joe & Paul Catholic Church and the Owensboro Catholic Schools system, who will be splitting the proceeds.

Sts. Joe & Paul stewardship Director, Ashley Wilkerson, says the goal is to sell 4,000 tickets. Three years ago, the Home Raffle sold over 3,700 tickets. “I think it’s a good sign when people in the neighborhood right down the street from the house are buying chances,” Wilkerson said. “To me, that means they really love the neighborhood and like the house as well.”

The neighborhood she’s referring to is Bon Harbor on the west end of Owensboro. The house is located at 4135 Mayflower Drive.

The lucky winner will be drawn Saturday, ~~December 3, 2016,~~ March 18, 2017, at 10 am at Sts. Joe & Paul Parish Hall, 609 East 4th Street.

The winner can keep the home or sell it. Or give it away, like one man suggested to Sts. Joe & Paul pastor, Fr. Carl McCarthy, this week. “The man asked me if I’d go in half with him on a ticket, with the understanding that if we win we’d donate it to Friends of Sinners.”

That’s the thing about the home raffle project; it gets people’s attention. And it lends itself to a “pay it forward” mentality.

“It’s a different way to look at mission,” Fr. Carl explained. “We look at it like it’s our big parish picnic times three. It takes a lot of people to make this work. It’s truly a partnership between our parish and the Catholic Schools. And it also builds community within our church – just the conversations and camaraderie that take place at the open houses alone. We gather and congregate, and this house is providing that community aspect.”

This is the third home for the raffle. Houses were also raffled in 2010 and 2013. The original idea came from homebuilder Bill Jagoe. “The thought process was instead of doing a parish picnic, let’s do a big project every three years,” Wilkerson explained.

“We talked about it for a while, and Bill said let’s make this a reality,” Fr. McCarthy said. After the first year, Mike Martin of Martin Custom Builders took up the project. “Mike has done a great job getting the subcontractors to donate services and gathering in-kind donations.”

You can see the house yourself during one of the open houses taking place each weekend now through November 26 on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4 pm. Wilkerson says the parish is trying to find ways to attract people to the open houses. Don’t be surprised to find a local college mascot waving in the yard or some Kentucky Mavericks basketball players greeting guests as they arrive.

Kristi Coomes from Home Inspired staged the home with furniture for the open houses. “She has done a great job staging the house, people really love what she did with it,” Wilkerson said. “It makes a bigger impact seeing the house decorated when you walk in.”

Independence Bank is the title sponsor and is selling tickets at all branches in Daviess County, Henderson County, McClean, and Hancock County. Tickets can also be purchased at Owensboro Catholic Schools and Sts. Joseph & Paul as well as many other local Catholic parishes.