Raffle tickets supporting the Cranbrook Airshow, coming up next year, are already on sale as a means to drum up support and funds well ahead of time.
Tickets are $10 each and if you are interested in selling them, you can pick up a pack of 10.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Mayor Lee Pratt put forward a challenge to the city councillors to sell a pack each.
“The actual air show isn’t until next year, but there’s quite a bit of activity planned next month — planes coming in, Snowbirds coming by, there are a couple bombers coming,” Pratt said. He noted that part of it will be aired on TV.
“It’s a big undertaking for them,” Pratt said. “We talked about it before as being a good economic driver for the city, but unfortunately they have to raise some money ahead of time to make sure they have the funds to make it happen.”
Coun. Danielle Cardozo added to that by challenging local businesses to sell tickets as well.
“If each store in Cranbrook were to sell one book of tickets each, we’d have that entire show paid for next year,” Cardozo said. Her challenge comes from her other hat with the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.
“The business that sells the most tickets will receive a $1,000 advertising campaign package from Jim Pattison Broadcast Group,” Cardozo said after the meeting.
Mayor Pratt explained he’d met with Jeff Williams, who is involved with the air show, prior to Monday’s meeting.
“When he came to see me he was selling tickets, so I did buy a ticket from him and when I saw the prizes were being offered — it’s a $10 ticket and the prizes are awesome. I think there are six prizes and they are all awesome.”
Pratt said he then decided to buy a couple tickets, before ultimately asking for a couple books.
“I took a couple books of tickets, then I said, ‘give me six more,’” he said. “I’m challenging all the councillors to take a book of tickets, there’s 10 tickets in a book. So I think we can show we’re serious about getting this thing off the ground and being the economic driver that it is, we’re proud to support it too. I’m hoping you’ll accept the challenge.”
Businesses that wish to participate in the challenge can contact Stephen Romanick to pick up tickets: d.romanick@shaw.ca or by calling 250-417-9037.