McHENRY – Joe’s Wish, a local nonprofit group dedicated to helping veterans in need, will hold meat raffles starting Saturday.
The raffles will run from 2 to 4 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month from October through April.
This year, the group has added the McHenry Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600, 3002 Route 120, to the schedule.
“It just made sense to combine our efforts to raise much-needed funds for our heroes in need and have the bulk of our raffles at the VFW. It gives our patrons more wheelchair accessibility to attend our fundraisers,” Marianne Ruiz, founder of Joe’s Wish, said in a news release. “
Meat raffles at the VFW will be the first Saturday of the month.
The third Saturday of the month, the raffles will alternate between Main Street Station, 4005 N. Main St., McHenry, and After the Fox, 1406 N. Riverside Drive, McHenry.
Joe’s Wish also will collect items for homeless veterans through December. Those who bring in an item will receive free meat raffle tickets.
Items sought are packages of T-shirts, winter socks, briefs, sweatshirts, sweatpants, winter gloves, thermal tops, thermal bottoms, winter hats, scarves and blankets. All items must be new in sizes from large to XXL.
A minimum donation value must be at least $5 to qualify for the free raffle ticket offer.
The raffle drawings will take place at 2:30, 3, 3:30 and 4 p.m. Ticket sales will be cut off five minutes before each drawing.
Each regular drawing will have five winners. In addition, there will be four big-ticket item drawings; an example would be for a 7-pound prime rib, a 10-pound boneless pork loin, a 7-pound crown roast of pork, or a case of bacon.
All tickets cost $1 each or six for $5. New tickets need to bought for each half-hour drawing.
All nonwinning tickets have a second chance to win one of 15 items.
Food will be available at all locations.
The group also is committed to giving $100 a month to support the veterans food pantry at Transitional Living Services, 5330 W. Elm St., McHenry.
Collection of food items at the meat raffles will take place from January through April.
To donate, or if you are a veteran in need, contact Joe’s Wish at 2108 Orchard Beach Road, McHenry, call 815-575-1011, email joeswishnfp@gmail.com or visit www.joeswish.com.
