A suburban Chicago charity is raffling off a home worth $650,000, all for a good cause.
For a fundraiser, it is ambitious: a re-imagined charity raffle. The grand prize is keys to a two-story, four-bed, 2.5-bath home in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood.
"The idea was conceived about 18 months ago," said John Quinn with Oak Forest-based Gaelic Park Charities. "It is mind-boggling in ways … but it is true. Everything in here is brand new. This area was selected because of the schools. We wanted to make it attractive as possible for potential winners to come and live here.”
Gaelic Park Charities is using the raffle to raise money for programs and youth sports. The organization bought the property a few years ago, and board members helped build the home.
"We designed this home to make it attractive for the people hopefully who will win this house," said board member John Conroy, who owns a construction company.
The cost to enter the contest is $100. With no limit on tickets, the group needs to sell 6,700 to break even.
"My hope is that we raise as much money as we can to do up our fields for our kids,” Conroy said.
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If you win but don’t want the home, you can take the cash option of $450,000.
The drawing is set for March 24 at Gaelic Park.
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"People find it difficult to get their head around, because for a hundred dollars, you could potentially win a home worth $650 thousand," Quinn said.
