Parents Meet Raffle

[ZJsMom]

Hi all. I'm chairing the raffle committee for the meet my ds's gym hosts. I'm wanting to be creative and efficient in the way we approach raffle. In the past, we made parents shop and put together baskets and it was determined to be too burdensome and it wasn't clear that the return on the amount spent was worth it. This year, we're getting $250 from each booster club (boys team and girls team). So we have $500 total to spend on raffle items, but we have something around 20 sessions for which we need to provide raffle items. We're also hoping to get some donations from local businesses.

So my questions is what fun and creative raffle items have you seen at meets. What are some low cost items that kids will like? What types of local business has your club received donations from? Any suggestions will be helpful. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

 

[3gymgirls]

A meet we went to recently had fuzzy Frozen themes blankets as well as some other smaller items. They only had eight WAG sessions, but they seemed to go over well.

 

[ZJsMom]

I know Frozen is really big with the younger kids now. That's a great idea. My kiddos are 15 and 17 now, so I'm not really in tune with what the younger ones want. Thank you!

 

[sce]

First, at my dd's meet some of the raffle times were more geared to the parents. Please don't do that. The kid who won was always disappointed. Just have stuff that's fun for the kids. I imagine it can very based on level, as the ages on average go up as the levels do.

One fun thing. Target right now has this popcorn bucket, with microwave popcorn and candy included, you could do that plus a fun DVD (Lots of those are $5 at Target.)

Fun character items: Frozen, Minions, Avengers, Lego

If you can find inexpensive Nerf stuff that would be a fun one for a boys' session.

Also, inexpensive board games would be fun.

If any local restaurants would donate gift cards that would always be a pleasing thing to win.

 

[Shooosh]

Best raffles ever are 50/50 raffles or cash prizes!!
Who doesn't like cash?!

 

[ZJsMom]

50/50 raffle sounds great--easy peasy. but we never see them around here. Could it be illegal in some states? Considered gambling or something?

 

[ZJsMom]

First, at my dd's meet some of the raffle times were more geared to the parents. Please don't do that. The kid who won was always disappointed. Just have stuff that's fun for the kids. I imagine it can very based on level, as the ages on average go up as the levels do.

One fun thing. Target right now has this popcorn bucket, with microwave popcorn and candy included, you could do that plus a fun DVD (Lots of those are $5 at Target.)

Fun character items: Frozen, Minions, Avengers, Lego

If you can find inexpensive Nerf stuff that would be a fun one for a boys' session.

Also, inexpensive board games would be fun.

If any local restaurants would donate gift cards that would always be a pleasing thing to win.

I know what you mean about more grown up things. I think that stuff comes from donations, but still, I think it needs to be separated out. I once saw a kid be handed a bottle of wine, no joke. I said, "did they just give wine to a ten-year old?"

 

[Rockygym]

How about hair stuff - clips, barretts, hair-ties etc.

 

[Shooosh]

Oops dp

 

[Shooosh]

50/50 raffle sounds great--easy peasy. but we never see them around here. Could it be illegal in some states? Considered gambling or something?

I hadn't heard of them until I moved where I currently live. They're so awesomely easy!

 

[Honey]

We went to a meet that had a raffle each session where the prize was seats on a comfy couch in the front row with free drinks and food served while you watched. That was pretty different, fun, easy and cheap!

 

[refugee]

50/50 raffle sounds great--easy peasy. but we never see them around here. Could it be illegal in some states? Considered gambling or something?

Yes...from past PTA experience, raffles may be (heavily) regulated. Rules such as per ticket pricing, gross revenue limits, sales location, etc. One common practice I've seen at gym meet raffles is to discount ticket prices for larger purchase quantities--so the per ticket price varies, making the "odds" of the raffle uneven. This is illegal in at least one state. Check with your state's gambling commission...or don't (it appears most gym meet hosts have never done so, at least IME)

 

[KieQ]

Best seat in the house...

We went to a meet that had a raffle each session where the prize was seats on a comfy couch in the front row with free drinks and food served while you watched. That was pretty different, fun, easy and cheap!

 

[KieQ]

One recent comp we attended had homemade gift card holders. You paid $5 for the gift card holder. Inside was a gift card from a popular business (mc D's, starbucks, walmart, ...) Most were blank/empty but a few had the word WIN written on the back with a balance on it. If you found the word *win* you kept the card. If not, you got a chocolate bar. Either way you got a pretty card holder to keep and you felt like you'd won something.

Another easy item for a raffle is a framed bill. Put a new $20 bill (or a $50) in a frame on a basket raffle table and kids will put their ticket in to win it. Kids like Cash.

 

[raenndrops]

1- DONT offer Free Lasix (on one eye) ... We actually saw that at one meet.

AVON rep may be willing to donate a Raffle Basket of lotions and stuff (for older girls / moms) OR their fun kids stuff (Bathtub paints, 2-in-1 shampoo and body washes, etc).

Check with your local Wal-Mart and other such stores and see if they would be willing to donate something for a raffle.

If you are having vendors at the meet, see if they would also want to DONATE items (or services).

Hair accessories, gymnastics themed items (one time, we were at a meet that gave away flannel "gymnastics" pants AND a GK leotard - the winner took the "prize" to the vendors and picked exactly what they wanted - size and design / color).

The more you can get donated, the easier it will be to stretch the $25 per session ($500/20) for raffles

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

As far as popular with the younger girls.... Anything from Justice, lol!! So far at the meets this season, those are the baskets I see DD and her peers fawning over (8-12yo girls). the least popular..? Bath and body stuff, which gets handed off to Mom instantly.
More basket ideas that DD has coveted: fuzzy socks, blankets, stuffed animals, hair stuff, anything blingy and bright..!!

 

[l.c.o]

DD (10) won a raffle basket a couple of years ago - it had a fuzzy zebra blanket, candy, popcorn, a $15 target gift card (to buy a movie?) and a donated gift cert for pizza. Best prize ever. She still sleeps with the blanket.

Is it a local meet? No? Keep that in mind either way. Check places for donations which you wouldn't necessarily consider (one meet we went to had a shoe manufacturer donate like 15-20 certificates for pairs of shoes! I don't think it was Keen, but maybe Teva?). Also ask parents if they have new things to donate - I know I have a magic box in my garage with miscellaneous Stampin' Up', Partylite, or Pampered Chef product that I've never actually used. Perhaps you could score a decent item and build a basket around it. Also, demonstrators might have new but discontinued product which they can't officially use anymore, but might get a write off for donating.

"Experience" baskets do well here - think like ski life passes (can you get donated?) or hockey tickets + dinner gift card. Or maybe a local business or your gym could offer a free birthday party (or charge booster club actual cost?).

My DD usually wants game tickets (the actual sport is inconsequential) or anything pink/sparkly/snuggly. DS wants money or experiences.

Anyway, just my .02 - and the stuff that makes my kids salivate and bug me to the point of caving and buying those darn tickets.

 

[profmom]

Our local Chipotle is great about donating coupons for free stuff.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Just as an FYI, although many of the meets we go to have lots of local clubs participate, we are always a MINIMuM of 2hrs drive away. Anything local (I have seen GC to local spa, restaurant etc) would be completely useless for us, unless the GC is valid for a year+ and assuming our kiddo stays in gymnastics and we go back to that meet..! it's fairly common here to have the meets attended by clubs from a much larger perimeter than in some areas. I would imagine in a metropolitan area with mostly local gyms participating, it would be different.

 

[roll123]

Scratch ticket baskets always seem to do well with the parents. The possibility of winning on all those
Scratch offs lures people in!