Introducing Our Best Raffle Yet!

We have amazing news to share with you all today! Our 2019 raffle is officially underway! And it’s our best one yet! Here are all the details…

For the past two years, our annual raffle benefited Island Health and Wellness, St. John’s only nonprofit primary care center. And thanks to all of you, we were able to donate more than $130,000 … how amazing is that?!? I am still blown away by that number to be honest. 🙂

This year, we plan to support Island Health and Wellness once again. We also plan to support several other worthy organizations. There are numerous organizations on St. John that need funding. We are hoping to support some of the lesser known groups, the ones that don’t receive as much press on a regular basis. Through this raffle, we hope to support the following:

• Island Health and Wellness: Currently the center is only able to treat patients ages 15 and up, and it sees all regardless of their ability to pay. A donation of $75,000 would allow island Health and Wellness to launch a pediatric program. Currently there is not a pediatrician on St. John. This is a much needed service for our children.
• Love City Community Network: If you have been to St. John, you are likely aware that a good deal of the North Shore is a dead zone including many of your favorite beaches. A donation of $27,000 would complete LCCN’s funding request to install 911 call boxes, complete with AEDs, on six North Shore beaches including Hawknest, Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay (one at each end of the beach) and in the Annaberg area. This would greatly reduce EMS response times in the event of an emergency on the North Shore. This system can truly save lives.
• Julius E. Sprauve School: The school sustained significant damage during the 2017 hurricanes. It is currently in need of gym equipment, musical instruments and teacher supplies.
• St. John Christian Academy: The school is in need of gym equipment, room dividers and a security system.
• Carolina Corral: The corral is a safe haven for injured and rescued donkeys, horses and other animals. The cost to feed these animals is upwards of $100 a day. The corral is also in need of new fencing.
• Love City Pan Dragons: St. John’s only steel pan orchestra is looking for funding for pan tuning, new uniforms and travel expenses.
• St. John Historical Society: The group is looking for funding so it can complete its “Our History Keepers” project by hiring a videographer to film St. John’s elders.
• C.O.R.E.: This program inspires communities to be better stewards of the environment through marine awareness education and hands on coastal programs. They are looking for funding that will allow them to clean up bays of storm debris and to allow them to educate the public on sunscreens that are toxic to reefs. C.O.R.E has been instrumental in helping to alleviate the lionfish problem in the waters around St. John.

Together, we can support each of these very worthy causes. Together we can make a difference. Now here’s how…

For just $25, you can enter to win one of the following prizes:

• First Prize: A five-night stay for up to six people at Ardisia. This prize has a value of $8,214.
• Second Prize: A seven-night stay for up to four people at Great Expectations. This prize has a value of $5,900.
• Third Prize: A five-night stay for up to six people at Aquamare at Grande Bay. This prize has a value of $3,500.
• Fourth Prize: A five-night stay at Sapphire Sunrise for up to six guests. This prize has a value of $3,000.
• Fifth Prize: A seven-night stay at Samba Azul for up to four guests. This prize has a value of $2,850.
• Sixth Prize: A seven-night stay at Miles Away for up to four guests (or a family of five). This prize has a value of $2,170.
• Seventh Prize: Three night stay for two people in Island Abodes’ Garden Suite at Chocolate Hole, or at the Papaya Suite, One-Bedroom Suite or Honeymoon Suite at Sunset Serenade. This prize has a value of $747.
• Eighth Prize: A two-night consecutive stay at Cruz Bay Hotel. This prize is valued at $530.

Tickets are just $25. That’s right, for just $25, you can enter to win your share of more than $25,000 worth of prizes … how amazing is that??!! A HUGE thank you to all of the villas who graciously donated stays.

There will not be a limit on entries, as we are trying to raise as much money as possible for these worthy causes.

To purchase a ticket, please choose the number of tickets below. You can buy up to 10 at a time. Then click the Buy Now button. This will bring you to a secure PayPal page where you can check out. (All entries will be treated as donations to St. John.)

The raffle period has ended. 

All entrants will receive a confirmation email from PayPal after purchasing your ticket/s. Because of the expected high volume of entries, we cannot personally email each entrant. Your email from PayPal will serve as your confirmation of entry into the drawing.

How the drawing works: Once the entry period is over, the raffle committee will personally write/type the names of each entrant on a raffle ticket. If you bought one ticket, we will write/type your name on one ticket. If you bought two tickets, we will write/type your name on two tickets. And so forth… All of the names will be placed into a secure bucket/basket. Once all of the names are written on tickets, we will draw the winner live on video. That video will be posted on newsofstjohn.com

The raffle period will end on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 9 a.m. EST. The winner will be announced on newsofstjohn.com on or about April 3, 2019.

Want to share this raffle on your Facebook page, or with your family and friends? If so, please direct them to www.newsofstjohn.com/raffle

Now go ahead and enter! Good luck!!

The Fine Print: 

• Each winner must adhere to the individual property’s rules and restrictions.
• If a property requires a deposit, the winner is responsible for paying that fee.
• In the event that the property becomes uninhabitable due to a storm, fire, or Act of God, the winner agrees to forfeit the prize.
• We strongly encourage each winner to purchase travel insurance.
• None of the prizes are transferrable without owner’s consent.
• The five-night stay at Ardisia is good for low season dates only. These dates are now through December 17, 2019 (the week of Thanksgiving is excluded) and also from April 16, 2020 through December 16, 2020 (Thanksgiving week 2020 is also excluded). This five-night stay is subject to availability. You will book directly with the villa at www.ardisiastjohn.com. This stay is good for six people. Add-on guests are not allowed. Please visit ardisiastjohn.com for complete reservation policies. This stay is valued at $8,214. 
• The seven-night stay for 4 people at Great Expectations must be taken between May 4 – December 21, 2019 or May 2 – December 19, 2020, and is subject to availability. Additional guests up to all 8 bedrooms can be added at the standard rate of $1000 per room per week (double occupancy) to accommodate larger groups. The award value of $5900 can be applied to any standard rate stay of 7 nights or more through December 31, 2020. Stay must be completed by Dec 19, 2020.
• The five-night stay for six people at Aquamare at Grande Bay must be taken between May 1, 2019 and October 30, 2019 only and is subject to availability. The winner will be contacted by owner to arrange mutually acceptable travel dates. 
• The five-night stay at Sapphire Sunrise is good for up to six guests. The stay must be taken between August 4, 2019 and November 9, 2019 and is subject to availability. The winner must book directly with James M. Miller Property Management. 
• The seven-night stay at Samba Azul is good for up to four guests from April 16, 2019 through November 22, 2019 only and is subject to availability. The stay is not valid for the week of July 4, 2019. The winner must book directly with James M. Miller Property Management. 
• The seven-night stay at Miles Away is good for low season only between May 4, 2019 through November 23, 2019 and is subject to availability. The stay must be taken from a Saturday to Saturday. The stay is good for up to four guests only or a family of five. No children under the age of eight are able to stay at Miles Away. This prize is not transferrable without owner’s consent. The winner must book directly with James M. Miller Property Management. 
• The Island Abodes prize is good for a three-night stay for two people in its Garden Suite at Chocolate Hole, or the Papaya Suite, One-Bedroom Suite or Honeymoon Suite at Sunset Serenade during off or shoulder season (May through mid-December) and is subject to availability. Stay must be completed by December 31, 2019. The gift certificate amount of $747 can be applied on any of Island Abodes’ 6 rentals at any time for three+ nights. No blackout dates apply. The winner must book directly with Island Abodes. 
• The two-night stay at Cruz Bay Hotel is valid from May 1, 2019 through Dec 15, 2019 and excludes Festival/Week of July 4th. The two night-stay must be consecutive. The winner must book directly with Cruz Bay Hotel.