The Jones County Lions Club has diversified its fundraising efforts in 2024 by holding its first Spring Fair and its first-ever 30-30-30 Gun Raffle that will take place soon after its annual Fall Fair next month.
The annual Lions Club Fair is scheduled Oct. 8-12, and Lions Club Secretary Pam Deese said booth rentals were going well.
Lions Club President Terrell Fulford talked about the new gun raffle and the reasons behind it at the club’s Sept. 12 meeting. He said the weather has not been kind at the annual October fair for the past several years.
The fewer days the fair is open, the less money is raised. Even this year’s Spring Fair lost a couple of days due to rain issues.
Fulford said the gun raffle was the idea of one of the club’s newer members Bree Comer. The idea is a fundraiser that would not be dependent on the weather.
The 30-30-30 raffle sort of explains itself. The chances are $30 each, and 30 guns will be given away over 30 days. A different type of gun is won each day, including pistols and rifles.
Day 1 is a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm; Day 2 a Ruger American 243; Day 3 a Savage Axis 11 &mm-08; and so forth. All guns are new, factory-made firearms.
Only 1,000 tickets are being sold numbering from 000 to 999. The drawing will start Nov. 1 and continue until Nov.
30. Each day’s winning number is obtained from the Georgia CASH 3 lottery drawing from that day.
Only those of legal age and legally able to own a firearm are eligible to purchase tickets. All Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms rules apply, and winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.
Winners will pick up the firearms at Gray Station Firearms. The winner must be in the possession of the winning ticket, and that ticket will remain eligible for remaining raffle drawings.
Raffle tickets are being sold during weekends at either Ingles, Ace, Tractor Supply or from any Jones County Lions Club member. Raffle tickets will also be sold at the fair.
Deese estimated that at least half of the tickets have already been sold.
One of the Lions Club’s oldest fundraisers is its brooms and mops. Those are available year-round from Lions Club members and of course at the fair.
This year the brooms and mops are also available at the Cut Hut in South Jones County, located at 158 Highway 49.
The Lions Club of Jones County was chartered Jan. 15, 1968, at Crawford’s Restaurant in Gray with the Southside Lions Club from Bibb County as their sponsor. There were 27 charter members.
The Club immediately began to have fundraisers with the money to be used in the first five months of their charter. The club bought the Lions Club property in 1971 and constructed the building.
The first fair was held in 1973, and the mortgage on the property was paid off in 1977.
The Lions Club motto is “We Serve,” and that’s what they do by helping families in need with a focus on aiding the blind and visually impaired. Comer recently participated in a vision screening at Mattie Wells Elementary in partnership with the Milledgeville Lions Club.
Comer said 230 kids were screened and 62 vision referrals made.
Another screening is being planned at Gray Station Middle School.
The Jones County Lions Club meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month, and the meetings start at 7 p.m.
Fulford said he is working on the entertainment for the stage at next month’s fair, and volunteers are needed to help in all areas.
“We are praying for good weather,” he added.
For information about the raffle or fair booth rentals, contact Deese at 478-731-2341 or Fulford at 478-986-5234.
