What is it: It’s time to make a splash at this year’s Big Splash Raffle Aug. 18-19 at the Sandusky Bay Pavilion. The raffle raises funds for the operation of the
Maritime Museum of Sandusky.
“Big Splash Raffle is the single most important revenue stream for the Maritime Museum of Sandusky,” says Maritime Museum of Sandusky Executive Director Molly Sampson. “Ticket buyers and event attendees provide more than 60% of our operating funds, allowing the Museum to stay open year-round and offer educational programming to our community.”
Each ticket is numbered starting with 0000 and ending with 4999. Ticket buyers who pull 0000, 1111, 2222, 3333, or 4444 win $1,000 and those who bought tickets before July 4 had the opportunity to win $500, as Big Splash organizers pull 20 winners as part of the Early Bird Drawing.
“We use a lottery ball machine to pick numbers, so everyone has a chance to win more than once if their numbers are drawn again,” says committee member Dawn Weinhardt. “It is very rare, but it has happened a couple of times over the past 18 years.”
There will also be two drawings during Bash Before the Splash at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18 for $1,000 and at 9 p.m. for $5,000, Weinhardt says.
“However, if you are present at the time of the drawing, we will double those prizes,” she says.
The main event starts at 1 p.m. Aug. 19, when committee members will draw numbers about every five minutes until 5 p.m. Prizes include a Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Trax, Ford Mustang, Harley Davidson Sportster, a pair of Pedego Bikes, and the grand prize of $50,000.
History of the event: Although the event is In its 19th year,
“this is the first year without our patriarch of the Big Splash Raffle, Dean Howman,” Weinhardt says, as Howman died in October.
“Twenty years ago, Dean floated this–some might say crazy–idea of holding a raffle as a fundraising effort for the Maritime Museum of Sandusky,” Weinhardt says. “The Maritime Museum pays for all prizes given away, so we were taking a pretty big gamble if we could not sell enough tickets to offset the expenses of the prizes and the event itself. Dean was very convincing and got the board to agree to give it a try.”
By the fourth year, the raffle raised more than $100,000, and it has “held steady ever since,” Weinhardt says.
“In Dean’s memory, we have changed the name to Dean Howman Memorial Big Splash Raffle,” she says. “Even though the raffle has gained much attraction, we have yet to sell out all 5,000 tickets. We are hoping that this year, with Dean looking down on us, we will finally sell all 5,000 tickets.”
How to get involved: Tickets are $100 each. Purchasers must be 18 years or older, and more than one ticket may be purchased per person. Visit the
Big Splash website to find out where to purchase tickets.
A list of winners will be available at the Maritime Museum and on the Big Splash website. All prizes must be claimed within 30 days of mailing of notification. Winners will be notified by phone, email, or mail at the address provided on the ticket stub.
If you would like to volunteer at the event, call Sampson at 419-624-0274.