By Greg Ellison

(Aug. 27, 2020) The Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines-Ocean City’s latest fundraising effort, a 2021 pick-three lottery campaign, is off to a brisk start with roughly 20 percent of tickets gone in under a month.

Public Relations/Press Chairman Dave Landis, who was instrumental in launching the new endeavor, said the club’s “Lottery Raffle” tickets are tied to Maryland’s daily evening straight pick-3, with 1,000 tickets numbered from 000-999 available for $20 each.

“There’s none of that special stuff like you can do if you buy the ticket for box,” he said. “All the drawings will be in 2021 but all the sales have to be done before the end of the year.”

Tickets are being sold by individual club members and will also be available at the Ocean Pines Farmers & Artisans Market beginning this week.

“We’re at the farmers market on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” he said. “I got the tickets out to the members at the beginning of August.”

In that span, membership has already sold off roughly 200 of the 1,000 numbered tickets.

“We have a reasonable pace,” he said. “I just hope we can sell 800 or 900 tickets and it would be great if we could sell out.”

Noting the odds of winning are significantly higher than typical drawings, Landis said the goal is raising $10,000 to fund Kiwanis campaigns.

In addition to starting the Stephen Decatur High School Key Club, followed by the K-Kids Clubs in Showell Elementary and Buckingham Elementary, Kiwanis members also formed the Builders Clubs in Berlin Intermediate School and Stephen Decatur Middle School, as well as an AKTION Club for adults with disabilities at Worcester County Developmental Center in Newark.

While winning numbers pay a $20 minimum, there are also 17 holiday prize pots that cash out for higher amounts, with the first on New Year’s Day.

“If you hit that special day, you get even more money,” Landis said. “The biggest prize would be on Christmas of $250.”

Landis said a number of people have already picked up Lottery Raffle tickets to give to family or friends during the holiday season.

“People have been selling them and it’s going to be a lot of work,” he said. “I know toward the end of the year I’m going to have my hands full when I’m trying to enter everything into the spreadsheet.”

Further information is available at kiwanisofopoc.org or by visiting the Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines-Ocean City Facebook page. In addition to the other options, lottery tickets can also be purchased by calling Landis at 410-641-7330.

Slots are still available for the Kiwanis open-air haircut fundraiser on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 98 Ocean Parkway. Charity Dudley of Mobile Hair Services will provide trim ups on a covered porch at the private residence. Cost is $15 for adults and $7.50 for ages 12 and younger, payable by check to the Kiwanis Club. Cash payments will not be accepted. Call 410-533-3788 to schedule an appointment.