WIN BIG AT FIFTH ANNUAL CORVETTE RAFFLE PARTY

Don’t miss this one! For the fifth year in a row, the biggest community party in Mason will be held in the Arena Building at the Ingham County Fairgrounds, Saturday, October 21, 2006. The doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and the party will continue well into the evening until a beautiful "Collector Edition" 1996 silver-colored Corvette convertible or $10,000 cash is given away.

The winner will choose either the car or the cash in the licensed raffle (MLR85793), with proceeds going to benefit the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce’s "Hometown U.S.A." programs that create so much value for the community. Mason’s community identity advertising, flower plantings, outdoor concerts, banners, publications, parades, visitors’ center activities, and more are partially funded by the proceeds.

Cost of admission to the party is one Corvette raffle ticket for $100 and only 500 raffle tickets are available. Only 485 tickets have actually been available for purchase before the party, as 10 tickets are being withheld for 10 Bonus Raffles during the party and 5 tickets are being withheld to be auctioned during the party. Ticket holders and guests must be at least 18 years old.

The party includes a steak dinner buffet, beverages and snacks throughout the evening, raffles and auctions for additional Corvette tickets, ticket auctions, drawings for up to $1,250 and $2,500 cash, cash prizes, special drawings from the "losing tickets" for prizes, and a very suspenseful wait to see who will win the Corvette. Ticket holders may bring one additional guest to the dinner for $20. The dinner buffet will go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and includes a grilled chicken breast option, salads, potato, bread, dessert and beverages.

The last Corvette ticket number drawn will win the Corvette or $10,000 cash. The winner does not need to be present to win. Tickets have been available since April and can be purchased from staff in the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce office, from any member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and other Chamber members. Call (517) 676-1046 to reserve your ticket. If any tickets remain unsold, they will be available at the door to the party from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Organizers hope to have at least 300 people at the party; all having a great time with the expectation that they will win the convertible. There is the potential for a huge party but not every ticket owner will attend. Tickets have been sold to people all over the southern Michigan area and even other states. Some tickets are still available. Winners of the cash prizes and of the Corvette do not need to be present to win.

Ticket numbers will be drawn beginning at 5 p.m. and will continue until the Corvette is awarded to the last number drawn. Five cash prizes will be awarded in sequence beginning with $100 to the first number drawn, $150 to the 200th number drawn, $200 to the 300th number drawn, $250 to the 400th number drawn and $300 to the 450th number drawn. If less than 485 tickets are sold, the winning drawing sequence will be proportionally reduced.

Also, the 2nd place through 5th place numbers will be awarded cash prizes with $500 going to the 2nd place number, $300 to the 3rd place number, $200 to the 4th place number and $100 to the 5th place number. All cash prizes will be awarded and the winners do not need to be present to win.

Ten tickets from the 500 Corvette raffle ticket total will be reserved from sale and will offered during the party through ten bonus ticket raffles. Bonus raffle tickets will be sold for each of the ten reserved tickets and the winner of each bonus raffle will be given a Corvette raffle ticket. The bonus raffle ticket winners will be given their Corvette ticket at specific drawing points during the evening beginning with the 250th raffle number drawn and progressing to the 475th number drawn. If less than 485 tickets are sold, the winning drawing sequence will be proportionally reduced. Bonus raffle tickets will increase in cost as the odds for winning the Corvette are increased. Tickets for the first Bonus raffle drawing will be $1 each, while tickets for the 10th Bonus raffle drawing will be $20 each.

Corvette raffle ticket holders who get nervous about their chances of winning the car can auction their ticket at any time during the evening with 10 percent of proceeds going to the Chamber. Jim Hyde will auction those Corvette raffle tickets to the highest bidder. There is no limit on the number of times a ticket can be auctioned. Ticket holders and their guests can bid on the auctions. In addition, 5 tickets from the 500 tickets available are being withheld from sale and will be auctioned at various times during the evening.

Corvette raffle ticket holders attending the party will have the opportunity to win prizes from special drawings if their ticket is a "losing ticket," a ticket number already drawn and no longer in the running for the Corvette. As each losing ticket number is drawn, the ticket holder will have the opportunity to place their ticket number in a special drawing for prizes. Randomly throughout the evening drawings will be made from these losing numbers and the winner will be given their choice of the prizes available at that time. Winners of these drawings must be there to win the prize.

Two 50/50 boards will contain all raffle ticket numbers. Each number will be sold for $5 each on the $5 Board and $10 each on the $10 Board. If less than 500 Corvette raffle tickets are sold, only the numbers for the tickets actually sold will be offered on these boards. The holder of the last number drawn in the Corvette raffle will win one-half of the value of each board. The $5 Board will offer all numbers for $5 each with a potential payoff of $1,250 to a single winner. The $10 Board will offer the same numbers for $10 each with a potential payoff of $2,500 to a single winner.

The 1996 "Collector Edition" silver-colored Corvette convertible being raffled has just over 44,000 miles. It features black leather interior, automatic transmission, power windows, power locks, power seats, power steering, power brakes, V-8 engine, air conditioning, CD stereo system and many more features. It was purchased by the Chamber from a private owner in Brighton in February for approximately $19,000.

  In accordance with the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce By-Laws, Article IV, Section 3, the Chamber membership is hereby notified of seven seats on the Board of Directors that will become vacant on January 1, 2006.  A nominating committee consisting of Mark Howe as chair, Dan Schlattman, and George Hayhoe selected a slate of nominees to fill those vacancies.  We thank the committee members for their service.  The people listed below are the nominees for the five seats for a term of three years beginning January 1, 2007 going through December 31, 2009; for the one seat for a term of two years beginning January 1, 2007 going through December 31, 2008; and for the one seat for a term of one year beginning January 1, 2007 going through December 31, 2007.   The seven elected candidates will choose who will serve each term length upon certification of election in at the November Board and Annual Meeting.

   Additional candidates for the Board may be nominated by petition bearing the signatures of the principals of at least 10 Chamber members in good standing, submitted to the Chamber office within  10 days of this notice.  If no petitions are filed, the persons listed in this notice shall be deemed elected by the membership and so certified at the Board’s November meeting.  The following nominees are principals, associates or employees of members of the Chamber in good standing and are hereby nominated for the seven 2007 vacancies:

Tom Botsford – EAA Chapter 55

Joe Dean – City of Mason

Lance Delbridge – Mason Public Schools

Kim Gorrell – B-Dry Systems of So. Central Michigan

Neil Kentner – Ingham County Fair

Robin King – Independent Bank

Phil Preston – Gestamp U.S. HardTech

Welcome to the following new Chamber members!