COURTESY
NEWPORT — With only a few weeks to go, Newport Rotary Club members are busy gathering prizes for the club’s 8th annual penny sale. This year’s Penny Sale will be held Saturday, May 12. Doors to the Newport Middle High School Gym will open at 5:30 p.m. and the first prize will be raffled at 6:30 pm.
“Dan Cherry will emcee the event again this year, and we are grateful for his expertise as he sees to it that the evening moves rapidly with prizes being awarded every minute, said event chairman Bruce Jasper. “We’ve received staunch support from the community each time we have held a penny sale. This year is no exception. The public has always turned out to support our efforts and we’ve tried very hard to plan an event that was fun for everyone participating. At the same time, we are committed to raising funds for local and worldwide projects which is an important goal for all rotary clubs.”
Rotary members have been busy contacting area businesses asking for their support for several weeks. In addition to the 300 prizes the club will raffle that evening, rotary members are also selling tickets for a cash prize they will award as the finale that night. One thousand dollars will be raffled that evening ($1,200 if you are present) as the first prize for this portion of the penny sale. A second prize of $500 ($600 if present) will also be given away.
The Newport Senior Center Building Renovation Project and the rotary club’s own Teacher Mini Grant Projects are the primary beneficiaries of funds raised. In addition, the Rotary Club provides two scholarships to graduating seniors each year, holds a pancake breakfast during the Winter Carnival, partners with the New London Rotary Club to deliver food baskets for Thanksgiving, supports the Willey-Perra Christmas Program, rings the bell for the Salvation Army during the holiday season, as well as a host of other projects that support both the local community and Rotary International’s worldwide efforts.
In addition to the three rounds where 300 prizes will be given away, several large prizes will be drawn after the last round. Tickets from all three rounds will be placed back in the tumbler and large prizes will be drawn. Finally, a cash prize will be awarded. Tickets for the cash prizes are available now from any Rotary member and will be on sale throughout the evening of May 12. The price for those tickets is also $1 each, $5 for six tickets, $10 for 12 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets.
“Businesses across the region support our efforts and we have a wide variety of prizes and sponsorships on hand already. Holding a penny sale means a lot of legwork for all of our club members. However, the outcome is so beneficial to so many, we feel it is definitely worth it,” Rotary President Peter Martin said.
Refreshments will be on sale through the Newport Senior Center and all businesses contributing will be recognized that evening. For more information about the penny sale or Newport Rotary Club, visit www.newportnhrotary.org or Facebook at Rotary Club Newport NH.
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