Super Raffle tickets on sale now

Do you dream of taking a vacation to the Bahamas, California, Chicago or Florida?

How about driving a 2012 Mazda 6i Sport, wearing princess cut diamond earrings or training with a personal trainer at the gym for one year?

Now is your chance to do all of the above as United Way of Lake County’s Super Raffle tickets are now on sale, and this year promises to be the biggest and best raffle ever!

This year’s Super Raffle consists of 59 prizes, which were generously donated from area businesses. In 2010, Super Raffle raised about $44,000 after United Way of Lake County raffled off 44 prizes.

Tickets for Super Raffle are $5 each or six for $25. Tickets can be purchased online at www.uwlc.org, by phone at 440.352.3166 or in person at United Way of Lake County’s office, 9285 Progress Parkway, Mentor, OH 44060.

Money raised during Super Raffle benefits 74 partner programs that United Way of Lake County funds.  These programs focus on senior citizens, health & human Services, children & families and basic needs.

A live drawing will take place on March 2, 2012 at the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor. For the first time ever, winners can select from available prizes if present at the drawing.

Top prizes include:

·         Mazda 6i Sport 2-year lease OR $5,000 cash option from Classic Automotive Group

·         Five-day Bahamas Cruise from Asa Cox Homes

·         Chicago, IL Weekend Getaway including a Ladies & Gentleman Salon & Spa day and tickets to The Second City

·         Isle of Tierra Verde, FL Vacation from Jane Kaim, Realtor for Prudential Select Properties

·         Disney World Vacation

·         Fort Myers, FL Vacation from Stanley Steamer

·         San Francisco, CA Vacation from Fairmont Hotel

·         14 Lake County Captains Loge Tickets from Lake Health

·         One Year of Massages from Ladies & Gentlemen Salon & Spa

·         One Year Fitworks Membership with Personal Trainer from Mentor Fitworks

·         Princess Cut Diamond Earrings from Always and Forever Jewelers

·         iPad2 from The Lubrizol Corporation

·         One Year of Free Lawn Mowing from Sharp Edge Tree & Landscape

·         Dental Package from Macy Family Dentistry

To see all 59 prizes, visit www.uwlc.org.

Ladies & Gentlemen goes to bat for United Way

Jennifer Edgell from Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa presented United Way of Lake County with $3,404 following their charity softball game with John Robert’s Salon and Spa.

The two local salons went to bat for a cause at Classic Park in Eastlake on August 28 with both companies donating their ticket sales to worthwhile charities. Ladies & Gentlemen sold 680 tickets and donated all the proceeds from those sales to United Way of Lake County.

“This is the first time we have played the game for charity,” said Samantha Matheson, marketing team lead for Ladies & Gentlemen. “We try to do a lot with United Way of Lake County, so we thought we’d get together with John Robert’s - who also does a lot of work with charities - and thought it’d be a fun thing to do for a good cause.”

The Lake County Captains donated Classic Park for the game and a percentage of the concessions during this fun event.

United Way of Lake County distributes $9,100 worth of food to local pantries

As part of the 2011 Feed Lake County Campaign, United Way of Lake County distributed more than $9,100 worth of food Wednesday to 51 food pantries across the county.

Overall, the 2011 Feed Lake County Campaign raised approximately 45,500 pounds of food and $60,000 in cash. Cash donations to Feed Lake County are used throughout the year to make purchases for the food pantries in September, November and December.

On Wednesday, Giant Eagle dropped off $9,159 worth of peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, tuna, tuna helper, fruit cocktail and fruit juice to United Way of Lake County’s Mentor office. Volunteers from Lake House Men’s Residential distributed the items to the food pantries as they came to pick them up.

The majority of the food donations were distributed to food pantries in April as part of United Way of Lake County’s Second Annual Food Parade and Celebration.

“We gave out food to 132 different families just last month,” said Francine Vitale of Eastlake Area Kiwanis Food Pantry. “We get numerous calls every week from families saying they are out of food. United Way of Lake County is doing a phenomenal job of distributing food to the pantries and we really count on them for help.”

The food pantries continue to see an increase in numbers. Last year, more than 6,000 people used the food pantry system and between 700 and 1,100 residents needed help on a weekly basis. These food pantries report they are seeing 10 to 20 new visitors each week. Many first time social service clients are 40 to 50 years old, have lost their jobs, exhausted their benefits and are looking desperately for somewhere to turn.

“Pantries are in a crisis situation and they are in need of food,” said Gayle Sikula, administrative assistant at United Way of Lake County. “We normally do this distribution at the end of September, but we have been getting calls from the pantries saying they need food now.”

United Way of Lake County always accepts food or cash donations, which can be sent to 9285 Progress Parkway, Mentor, OH 44060. Those in need of food can call 2-1-1 to be referred to a local food pantry.