Rotary, Kiwanis Clubs Plan Raffles for Dexter Daze

The village of Dexter's 39th annual Dexter Daze festival on Aug. 12 and 13 will feature more than 100 artisan and craft booths lining the streets of downtown.

One of the highlights of Dexter Daze is the Dexter Rotary Club's Playhouse Raffle. Every year, club members select a historic home in Dexter and build a miniature version for one lucky child's backyard. For the past decade, members Sandy Hansen, Jim Crisman and Jeff Brown have been the chief architects for the playhouse.

Rotary President Steve Feinman said construction is done on a voluntary basis, usually on the weekends.

“Our members construct the building from scratch," Feinman said. “We are fortunate to receive some material from Chelsea Lumber and commercial building materials and services from Dexter Builders."

This year’s house is modeled after a home near the intersection of Third and Hudson streets, according to Feinman.

The playhouse raffle is the Rotary Club's main yearly fundraiser. Proceeds from ticket sales go toward scholarships for Dexter High School students and other community organizations such as the Dexter District Library, Faith in Action and the high school's Interact Club.

Playhouse raffle tickets are on sale now for $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at most downtown businesses.

The Dexter Kiwanis Club raffle also takes place during Dexter Daze. The grand prize is $10,000, second place is $1,000 and third place is $500. Tickets are on sale and cost $10 each or five for $40. Proceeds from raffle ticket sales benefit local scholarships.

Drawings for both raffles will take place at the gazebo in at 7 p.m. Aug. 13.