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North Idaho College Foundation's Really BIG Raffle is tonight

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 5 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | July 10, 2024 1:00 AM

The North Idaho College Foundation's biggest fundraising event of the year is happening at 7 tonight.

Over $667,000 in prizes will be given away in less than 30 minutes. One lucky ticket holder will win a new house in the 31st annual Really BIG Raffle, which will again be a livestreamed virtual event viewers can watch at nic.edu/rbr.

This year's grand prize is a newly built 2,338-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 1909 W. Moselle Drive. The Coeur d'Alene home, recently appraised at $630,000, served as a construction learning lab for students at NIC and the Kootenai Technical Education Campus.

Really BIG Raffle participants will also have opportunities to win: a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, valued at over $32,000; a $2,000 home furnishings gift card; and a Traeger smoker package valued at $1,500. Early birds who bought tickets by April 30 also automatically qualify for chances to win two additional $1,000 Costco gift card prizes.

Only 5,000 tickets were sold for the Really BIG Raffle, a popular event that supports student success. Tickets sold out for the 31st consecutive year May 31.

"This raffle has been a huge success for all 31 years because of all the community support," NIC Foundation Executive Director Rayelle Anderson said Tuesday.

More than $300,000 in proceeds from this event will go to help the greatest needs on campus, Anderson said.

"It advances the mission of the NIC Foundation, which is to bridge the gap for any student who wants to go to school now or in the future and to elevate the educational excellence in classrooms and laboratories at North Idaho College," she said.

In 31 years, the Really BIG Raffle has grossed a total of more than $14.6 million. After marketing and prize costs, the event has brought in $5.9 million to support NIC students. About $7 million of the $14.6 million has paid for houses that doubled as learning labs for students.

The event goes live at 6:55 p.m. with drawings beginning at 7 p.m.

Info: nic.edu

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