Luck of the draw wins Hopwood couple $335,000 Florida home
For spending only $10, a local couple has a new $335,000 vacation home in Florida. And they’re offering others a chance at one, too.
They say the odds are better than the Pennsylvania lottery and their story is proof that dreams can come true.
Last year, while visiting some friends in the Sunshine State, Joel and Mary Jo Chisler of Hopwood did what they did every year in the past. They took a tour of a home that would soon be raffled off via a ticket drawing.
But little did they know that the home would soon be theirs.
According to the Chislers, the house they won is part of a fund-raiser that’s held annually by the YMCA of the Treasure Coast in Stuart, Fla.
“It’s an annual fund-raiser they (YMCA) hold every year. The YMCA works with sponsors who donate their time, work, materials and goods to build a home, and the proceeds are utilized to expand the YMCA pre-school that’s comprised mostly of underprivileged children,” said Mary Jo Chisler.
According to the Chislers, when construction of the home is finished, $10 donations are taken and a numbered ticket is given in exchange for the donation. And on the Thursday before Easter, a winning ticket is chosen at random and that year’s home is the prize for the lucky winner holding the matching number.
Last year, the Chislers had the winning number.
“It’s a great home, and it’s in a gated community,” noted Mary Jo.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term “gated community,” it means the home is in an exclusive area that is off-limits to the general public.
“You can’t get in the area without a pass code,” she explained.
But all areas in or near Stuart aren’t as prestigious. According to the Chislers, a number of migrants and their families live in nearby communities and the annual YMCA fund-raiser is held to help them.
“The area is comprised of an increased population of Indians and Native American families,” noted Joel Chisler.
“The YMCA uses the donated money to expand the school and their programming,’ he added.
“Some money is used just to teach the children to speak English and to prepare them for school. It’s a very good program that’s very successful,” Mary Jo explained.
Now, the program has a local connection.
With the Chislers volunteering to sell tickets here in Pennsylvania, $1 for each ticket sold will be donated to the Uniontown YMCA.
Steve Cooper, executive director for the Uniontown YMCA, says the money raised here will also be utilized for underprivileged children.
“We’ll use it to cover the cost or memberships for the children who couldn’t otherwise afford one,” Cooper noted.
According to Cooper the Uniontown YMCA currently offers summer day camps, weekend projects and after-school programs for local children in need.
“We have a lot of programming, and it’s things like this that keep it going,” Cooper noted.
As for the Chislers, Cooper says he thinks what they are doing is great.
“Well, I’d say $10 is a small price to pay for a new home. You spend more than that on the lottery every week,” he noted.
And the Chislers agree.
“It’s got better odds than the lottery,” they said.
The Chislers said the odds are one in 125,000 if all the tickets are sold.
“Those are pretty good odds,” noted Mary Jo.
She said when they won the home last year, the total number of tickets sold was 70,000 and there are other prizes, as well. According to Mary Jo, the second prize is a $23,000 boat and the third-place winner gets a new Pontiac Vibe.
Anyone interested in checking out the home or the prizes for this year’s contest can visit the Web site on line at www. YMCAeasterhouse.org.
Tickets can be obtained on-line or by calling Mary Jo or Joel at 724-438-0201 or 724-439-4988 ext. 104.
The deadline for purchasing tickets is April 10.