United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County Raffles off 1956 GMC Pickup Truck

This is your opportunity to win a beautifully restored vintage pickup truck, give back to the community and possibly have a new ride for the popular Rally4Kids event that benefits the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.

The Rally4Kids event as well as four other events UBGC hosts have been canceled this year due to COVID-19. “The Rally4Kids event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the United Boys & Girls Clubs, and we rely on those funds to provide hundreds of scholarships each year,” stated event co-chairs Monte and Maria Wilson.

“It is safe to say that without the support from our Rally 4 Kids participants these past 6 years we would NOT have a club in Buellton or Solvang, We would not be open on Saturdays and we would Not have begun our outreach efforts to reach those that need our services the most,” added CEO Michael Baker.

The Clubs primary focus will be on education and, in essence, mirror the school schedule. Working with UBGC Club Directors and the school districts, they will identify the kids with the highest need and provide academic support, physical activity, and free meals between the hours of 8 am-3 pm. The fee is $150 a week and they hope to raise funds to provide scholarships to over 100 youth. Five Club locations include Carpinteria, Downtown Santa Barbara, Westside, Goleta, and Lompoc. “We believe that education and mentoring should not be contingent on the ability to pay, and our goal is to provide scholarships at each site, so every child has an opportunity to attend,” continued Monte and Maria Wilson.

Laurie Leis who was the Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara that merged with UBGC in July 2020 is now the Executive VP of Advancement for UBGC. “With the loss of traditional in person fundraisers this year, our team came up with some creative ways to support our kids.  Every ticket sold gives you a chance to win a car while also giving a child a chance to succeed in their education. Together we can be a ray of light and send a message that we care,” expressed Leis.

UBGC is excited to raffle off the beautiful 1956 GMC truck valued at $60,000. Tickets are $150.00 each and the drawing will be limited to 1000 tickets, so your chances to win are higher than you would normally see. The funds from this raffle will provide scholarships for youth to attend the full-day Community Learning Centers at four locations in Santa Barbara County.

Tickets can be purchased online at unitedbg.org

UBGC is committed to selling no less than 600 tickets. In the case that 600 tickets are not sold, the raffle will turn into a 50/50 drawing. The prize will be 50% of the money from raffle ticket sales, and UBGC retains the other 50%. Any person receiving this prize is responsible for paying all applicable local and state taxes, title and license.

The drawing date will be Thursday, November 12th at 6:00 p.m. on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/unitedbg)