BY TERRY SMITH
Assigned with a community service project at Pioneer Montessori School in Ketchum, young Jacqueline Cronin decided to do the project in earnest and organized her own raffle to raise $2,000 for Hailey Ice to benefit the nonprofit organization’s new Campion Ice House in Hailey.
The effort took her more than three months. She, with the assistance of her mother, Michele Cronin, began working on the project last December. The project was concluded on Friday, April 8, when the raffle was held at Pioneer Montessori School and six winners walked away with prizes generously donated by local restaurants and merchants.
To get the project going, Jacqueline and her mother developed a pamphlet explaining the raffle and developed a sales pitch to be used for soliciting prizes. Michele Cronin said she took her daughter to various businesses but that she let Jacqueline do all the talking.
Contributing prizes were Wrapcity, Big Belly Deli, Perry’s, Johnny G’s Subshack, the Pioneer Saloon, Magic Lantern Cinemas, Warfield Distillery and Brewery, Spa Beleza, White Otter Outdoor Adventures and Blaine County Recreation District.
With prizes secured, raffle tickets went on sale in February, at a cost of $2 each, 12 for $20 or 36 for $50.
Michele Cronin provided The Weekly Sun with a list of the raffle winners on Monday. They include Kurt Almquist who won a “winner bunch of lunches;” Carol Matkins with a “winner dinner at the Pioneer and movie;” Frank Tonnemaker with a “winner dinner at the Warfield and movie;” Jackie McRoberts with a “winner facial by Colette Rainey;” Jim Biteman with a “half-day rafting trip for two;” and Tom Downey with a “three month membership at the Blaine County Recreation District.”
In addition to the satisfaction of providing a community service, Jacqueline Cronin, a budding figure skater, will be honored at Campion Ice House, where her name will be placed on a silver plated hockey puck for permanent mounting at the House’s Wall of Pucks.
“The cool thing was that she was really excited to get a puck with her name on it,” Michele Cronin said.