Really BIG Raffle winners rake it in
Ashlee Lent, an independent auditor with accounting firm Moss Adams LLP, selects the winning ticket for the grand prize Wednesday night. From left: Hannah Slusser, NIC Foundation Development Specialist, Ashlee Lent, Olive Allison, NIC Foundation bookkeeper/accountant and foundation Executive Director Rayelle Anderson
Photo courtesy of North Idaho College
COEUR d’ALENE — NIC Foundation’s Really BIG Raffle winners were chosen virtually Wednesday night at North Idaho College’s Boswell Hall, their names pulled from a giant plexiglass tumbler.
When it was all said and done, over $457,000 in prizes had been awarded.
Richard Straw of Nampa won the grand prize, a $420,000, 2,078-square-foot house in Coeur d’Alene.
Straw found out he was a winner Thursday morning when friends saw the news online and reached out.
"It was a heck of a thing to wake up to," he said.
Though he'd never won before, Straw said he's been buying tickets for years to support the college. His son, Tim, is a welding instructor at NIC.
Straw and his wife intend to move back to the area and live in their new home.
Rayelle Anderson, executive director of the NIC Foundation, said the continued success of the raffle is a result of the positive collaboration between the community, North Idaho College, and the NIC Foundation.
"Tickets sold out for the 28th consecutive year, and we had the earliest sell out on record. We are truly grateful to each and every supporter for their investment," she said.
Others came away with prizes, too.
“I never win anything,” said Terzia Plummer of Priest River, which was no longer true.
After purchasing tickets four years in a row, Plummer claimed a $2,000 Runge Furniture gift card.
Terri Goedde won a 2021 Toyota Rav-4 worth $32,000.
The Goeddes have purchased tickets for the raffle for two decades.
“I never expected to win,” said John Goedde, Terri's husband. "We were just contributing to help the college kids.”
Tabatha Turnbull took home a Traeger Pro 780 Smoker and meat package. The girls at work, she said, are already asking when she's hosting the next barbecue.
After costs for the raffle are paid, the fundraiser will contribute about $200,000 directly back to student programs.
The NIC Foundation provides over $1.1 million in student scholarships annually.
The NIC Carpentry and Construction Technology Program leads the construction of the home. Greenstone Homes helps in providing land. Builders FirstSource and Idaho Forest Group support with building materials and LG Hausys provides countertops and interior items.
“The proceeds of this fundraiser provide vital resources to fund the hands-on laboratory for the NIC Carpentry and Construction Technology students and to enhance support for student success and education excellence collegewide,” Anderson said.
The 29th annual Really Big Raffle is scheduled for July 13, 2022. The grand prize house will be located in Greenstone’s North Place Community in Post Falls.