HENDERSON, Ky. — No, it’s not a scam, and no, it’s not too good to be true.
The bourbon raffle being held by Henderson’s Habitat for Humanity is exactly what it claims to be — a raffle for bourbon, some of it very high end bourbon.
No catch, no disclaimers and no hidden fees; if you win, the booze is yours. They’ll even deliver it to your door. Seriously.
“We’ve had so many calls and Facebook messages from people about this, it’s consuming my days,” Matt Reynolds, Habitat’s operations manager said. “Apparently there have been some scams; people are skeptical. I promise this is not a scam. We have the bottles in our hands, and we will deliver them to the winners.”
The grand prize is a six-bottle collection of the elusive Pappy Van Winkle, in 10, 12, 13, 15, 20 and 23-year expressions. That alone has been enough to get the attention of bourbon lovers nationwide who always clamor for a chance to land just one of the notoriously hard-to-get Van Winkle bottles.
However, there will be a total of 50 tickets chosen from the hopper, and prize packages two through 12 are a who’s who of Kentucky bourbon heavy hitters, with collections including brands like Elmer T. Lee, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Knob Creek, Michter’s, Basil Hayden, Four Roses, Weller and Blanton’s. Winners 13 through 50 will receive cash prizes.
The raffle is, of course, a fundraising effort, and one much needed. The cost of construction materials has gone up drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Habitat chapters across the country are feeling the pain.
Reynolds said a three-bedroom construction plan Habitat typically uses cost $78,000 to build pre-pandemic. That same house now costs $105,000 to construct.
“Construction costs are roughly 30% more than they were,” Reynolds said. “Unfortunately our grant dollars are the same, and money is the fuel that keeps this going.”
Habitat has sold around 3,600 raffle tickets at $100 each; they’re hoping to sell 10,000 with about four weeks left before the Aug. 27 drawing at Rockhouse on the River in Henderson, at 6 p.m. CST. So far, they said, most of the ticket buyers have been from Kentucky and the bordering states, but they have sold at least one ticket in each of the lower 48 states.
The delivery option is available for prize winners within the 48 contiguous states and 150 miles or more outside the 42420 zip code; alternatively, winners may opt to receive a $500 travel voucher so they can pick it up themselves as long as they reside 150 or more miles from 1030 3rd Street in Henderson.
Henderson’s Habitat for Humanity will complete four new home projects this fiscal year and will break ground on a fifth. They have high hopes the proceeds from this raffle will help the organization continue to operate at the same pace or better for the next year or two.
“We’re grateful for the friendships and partnerships we’ve made over the years and we look forward to continuing our mission for affordable housing in Henderson,” Reynolds said.
Habitat for Humanity of Henderson operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with charitable gaming license number ORG0002644. To enter, find contest rules and more information, visit Habitat for Humanity of Henderson’s webpage at hendersonkyraffle.org/ Or find them on Facebook: facebook.com/hendersonhabitat.
