Cooleemee raffle ends, house not the prize

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 16, 2012

COOLEEMEE — A raffle sponsored by the Cooleemee Historical Association for a house at 105 Joyner Street ended Saturday, but too few tickets were sold for the home to be a prize, organizers said.
“Sadly, we did not reach our goal of selling a thousand tickets,” Tony Steele, president of the Historical Association, said.
So according to the rules of the contest, it now becomes a “50/50 raffle” where the proceeds are split between the winner and the organization sponsoring it. Only those who purchased tickets for the raffle are eligible.
The winning ticket will be drawn at noon Saturday at Cooleemee Town Hall, 7766 U.S. 801 S. by a student selected by Cooleemee Elementary School Principal Carol Cozart. The winner does not have to be in attendance.
The Historic Association has bought the three-bedroom mill cottage with a contribution by Dr. Tim Sell of Michigan. After some minor repairs, the organization plans to put the property on the market by spring, a press release said.
Built in 1903, the house at one time provided offices for the former Cooleemee Journal newspaper.