Don’t tell Orangeburg teenager Taylor Marcus it can’t happen.

A year ago, she chastised her mother, Caroline Marcus, for spending $100 for a ticket to a drawing sponsored by the Rotary clubs in Orangeburg.

“Gosh, that’s a large amount of money. ... I had never seen a raffle ticket that cost $100,” Taylor said then.

Caroline explained the money being raised by the Rotary Club of Orangeburg and the Rotary Club of Orangeburg Morning was going for good purposes. Winning would be great — but never expect it.

But win Caroline did — garnering the grand prize, a red 2005 Ford Mustang, even as the Rotary clubs netted more than $30,000 to provide scholarships to local students and to benefit organizations from Meals on Wheels to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

For hundreds of people, the chance to be the winner of a vehicle in the second Rotary Rally is at hand. Tickets remain $100 for a chance to win the grand prize — which this time involves taking your choice from among a selection of new vehicles.

Orangeburg Rotary President Reta Guthrie said this year’s drawing will be held Feb. 3 during an event at the Garden Room at Orangeburg Mall. Things get started at 7:30 p.m. and conclude at 10:30 p.m. With the band Riptide entertaining, the grand-prize drawing at 10 p.m. follows a number of other drawings for prizes including a week at an Edisto Beach vacation home, two tickets to the Heritage golf classic, an oyster roast for 40 people, a palm tree, jewelry, a gas grill and more.

As Guthrie said, those buying a chance at the car have a chance to win nice prizes even if they aren’t going home in a new ride.

But it’s still the chance at that vehicle that sells the tickets. The winner this year will have a choice of a new car or truck from Toyota of Orangeburg, Fairey Chevrolet-Cadillac, Orangeburg Ford, Orangeburg Chrysler-Dodge-Nissan, Superior Motors and Superior Honda.

And as the lucky person sports about in a new ride, the Rotary clubs will be about the business of public service made possible by the event.

“It’s a real good example of how the service clubs work together,” Guthrie said. Without a successful event — 550 tickets were sold a year ago — the number of scholarships given by the Rotary Club of Orangeburg will decline, and the morning club will have to decide how to divide lesser funds among the organizations it has pledged to assist.

Help Rotary with this important fund-raiser, Guthrie urged.

You might have a four-wheel reason to be glad you did.

For information about the Rotary Rally or to buy tickets, see any Rotarian in Orangeburg or call 803-837-3140 or 803-682-5980.

You must be logged in to comment.