Really BIG Raffle winners announced

Michael Lenz won the grand prize Wednesday in the North Idaho College Foundation’s Really BIG Raffle—a newly constructed home appraised at $394,000./p>

The winning ticket for the four-bedroom, 2,626-square-foot house, located in Greenstone Homes’ Coeur d’Alene Place neighborhood, was pulled during a drawing that was streamed live online this year due to recent events.  In the past, the annual prize giveaway has attracted over 2,000 ticket holders and their families and friends to gather outdoors on NIC’s Coeur d’Alene campus to listen for their lucky numbers to be announced.

“This raffle is a special collaboration between the community, the college and the NIC Foundation. We’ve sold out for 27 consecutive years and are grateful to every supporter for investing in NIC student success, especially in these difficult times,” said Rayelle Anderson, executive director of the NIC Foundation.

More than $431,000 in prizes were awarded Wednesday evening, including the house, which was built by NIC Carpentry and Construction Technology students.

Winners of the first-, second-, third- and fourth- place prizes can apply the cash value to the prize of their choice.

This year’s winners were:

Grand prize $394,000 house — Michael Lenz

First place $20,000 Prize of Choice — Sean St. Marie

Second place $10,000 Prize of Choice — Rick Thrasher

Third place $3,500 Prize of Choice — Tera Villalba

Fourth place $2,000 Prize of Choice — Marian Breckenridge

All ticket holders also qualified to win two early bird prizes of $1,000 Costco gift cards. The $1,000 gift cards were won by Carol Fairhurst and Nicholas and Britney Helgeson.

“We couldn’t do this without the support of the community. They deserve a big thank you,” Anderson said. “The revenue generated by the raffle greatly enhances the NIC Foundation’s ability to support students in their pursuit of a quality education.”

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