Super 1, Human Rights Education Institute team up for fundraiser
<p>Marshal Mend, center, talks about the Human Rights Education Institute's raffle fundraiser after it was announced Tuesday in Coeur d'Alene. Randy McIntire, vice president of Super 1 Foods, left, and Thomas Carter, executive director for HREI were also part of the announcement.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A $10 raffle ticket could translate into a year's worth of free groceries from Super 1 Foods.
Winner or not, a ticket purchase will help support the Human Rights Education Institute's efforts to combat hate in the region.
The raffle, announced Tuesday, is being sponsored by HREI and Super 1.
"This will really help our budget to be more sustainable," said Thomas Carter, the institute's executive director.
The grand prize is $100 worth of free groceries each week for 52 weeks. There are 19 additional prizes, including second- and third-place prizes of $1,000 each in free groceries from Super 1.
The prizes will be redeemable at any of the six Super 1 Foods stores in North Idaho.
Carter said it's a fun way for people to support the institute's programs, while allowing the nonprofit to keep its doors open and continue offering educational programs.
The idea for the raffle, Carter said, came from longtime human rights activist, Marshall Mend.
"I think this is going to be a great thing for human rights, for Super 1, and put HREI on the map," Mend said. "It will allow us to start focusing on human rights rather than raising money."
For raffle entrants who want to support the institute's programs but don't necessarily have a need for the prizes - such as businesses, nonprofits and other groups - the institute encourages them, if they win, to donate the prize to individuals or another organization in need, such as the food bank.
Tickets for the grand prize will be capped at 4,000, and should that total be surpassed, the institute will conduct another grand-prize drawing. If the model proves successful in this first effort, the institute looks forward to doing possibly several drawings per year.
The Human Rights Education Institute receives no state or federal government support; programs are funded entirely through grants, donations and fundraisers such as the Super 1 Foods Raffle and the upcoming Human Rights Banquet.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 each, and can be purchased at any North Idaho Super 1 Foods. The store has locations in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Post Falls, Rathdrum, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry. Tickets can also be purchased at the Human Rights Education Institute, 414 W. Mullan Road in Coeur d'Alene. The institute will have the tickets on-hand for sale at all its upcoming events and programs.
The institute will hold the drawing for winners at its next Friends of HREI Social, on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m.