Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 6414 | Snowmobile VERMONT Winner! Winner! By Dave Rouleau On Nov. 4, the Barre Town Thunder Chickens held their 34th Annual Club Raffle at the Canadian Club Hall in Barre. Approximately 130 supporters attended the event with the grand prize winner being Paul Simoneau. With the runner up not being present, Paul asked if he could pull the second to last ball and “control his fate.” The look on his face was priceless as he revealed ball #5 leaving his #10 in the bag as the overall winner taking home $4,000 cash. Thanks to our supporters, we were able to raise $6,069 dollars at this year’s event. By Dave Rouleau As we transition from summer to autumn and patiently await our winter wonderland, the season seems to bring on traditional chores in preparation.  Leaves to rake, wood to stack, one last mowing and moving patio furniture to storage could certainly fall into that category. For the snowmobile community, it also means that it is time to set up the trails and prepare for the influx of snowmobile club raffles! Raffles are a tradition for many of the non-profit volunteer clubs and are used as the primary fundraiser to help defray the operating expenses necessary to provide their portion of the VAST trail network. Many are held in October or late November so that we don’t compete with hunting and riding seasons. Format is usually a Calcutta, where 100 tickets are sold and includes a meal for two. Events are commonly held at a local establishment such as an Elks, Legion or church hall with a buffet or potluck style meal. After enjoying a meal and catching up with your snowmobile family, it’s time to get the raffle under way. Numbers, in the form of bingo balls or tags, are drawn out one by one, until there is only one remaining. That lucky ticket holder takes home the grand prize which is customarily a new snowmobile or a cash prize offering.  Many clubs have consolation prizes as balls or tags are drawn, often coming in the way of donations from local businesses that support the club’s efforts. Many clubs offer side-raffles during the event where ticket holders can purchase an additional chance to win. This usually occurs after 50 or 75 percent of the balls or tags have been drawn. This is popular if your number has already been pulled or if you just want to increase your chances. After paying for the food, prizes and grand prize, clubs can realize anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 in their fundraising efforts. Win or lose, you most likely had a great meal, nice night out and you can feel good about supporting the clubs. Congratulations to this year’s winners around the state! It’s Snowmobile Club Raffle Season Barre Town Thunder Chickens 34th Annual Raffle By George Chaleff On Oct. 8 the Sterling Snow Riders of Johnson held their first Calcutta style fundraiser at the Morrisville VFW and had approximately 150 participants. Prizes included $1,000 cash to the winner and many other great prizes in a silent auction format. We thank the generous local businesses that donated these offerings. This year’s grand prize was split between the last two top contenders: Lou Lasage and Mike Patch. Each winner went home with $500. There were also $50 prize winners every 10th drawing. Sterling Snow Riders 1st Annual Calcutta