Community Corner

Dexter Kiwanis Club $10,000 Raffle Returns for Dexter Daze 40th Anniversary

Tickets for the annual Kiwanis raffle can be purchased at local businesses throughout the Village of Dexter.

The wildly popular Dexter Kiwanis Club $10,000 grand prize raffle will return for the 40th annual Dexter Daze Festival, set for Aug. 10-11.

As in years past, the raffle will take place at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 in downtown Dexter, and the odds of walking away with cash in hand are pretty high for those that hold a coveted ticket.

"I would say your odds (of winning) are better than playing the lottery," Kiwanis member Joe Medrano said.

Find out what's happening in Dexterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Medrano is optimistic about this year's ticket sales, which raise the bulk of the club's money to fund student scholarships, and community service projects.

"We've given away more than $300,000 over the years to a lot of excited people," he said.

Find out what's happening in Dexterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The club only prints 3,000 tickets, which sell for $10 each or five for $40. Tickets have been available at local businesses throughout the Village of Dexter since May.

"You can buy tickets all the way up until 30 minutes before the drawing," he said. "The bulk of our sales come during the festival weekend, however."

In addition to the grand prize, a second ($1,000) and third prize ($500) will also be drawn. The raffle even includes a $500 bonus for each winning raffle ticket holder who is physically present during the drawing.

"We want people to stick around and patronize the local shops. Why else would we offer to give away an extra $1,500?" Medrano said.

According to Medrano, the raffle has been a festival favorite since its inception in the 1970s, when the club began raffling off a new car or truck. The shift to a money raffle began after the club found out that several winners were either trading the vehicle in for a different one, or sold it because they couldn't afford the 6 percent Michigan sales tax.

"We thought we could help the winners out by offering them cash. Now they walk away with a prize they want and they just have to pay Uncle Sam his share," Medrano said.

To purchase a ticket, contact Medrano at 734-480-1516 or purchase tickets at , , , , , and .

For more information on Dexter Daze, visit www.dexterdaze.org.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here