Debbie Porter has one of the more important roles for volunteers of the St. Mary’s Oktoberfest – she is chairperson for the annual basket raffle.
Porter said the basket raffle and everything done with Oktoberfest starts with parents and people in the church. The St. Mary’s Oktoberfest started Friday night and runs through Sunday and should attract literally thousands to the church and school grounds.
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“Many parents donate their time and start the process of asking people for their donations and to contribute a basket to the raffle,” she said. “Some put together baskets and others provide money so we can purchase a theme basket. St. Mary’s has some incredibly generous people who like to give back.”
Porter said Wednesday night she was talking to some other volunteers and they were commenting that they have some excellent baskets this year from Cardinal tickets, to jewelry, cash lottery tickets, wine baskets and all kinds of everything else.
“One of my favorite baskets is one for breakfast in bed with a waffle iron, syrup and vase for a flower. We also have some Christmas and Halloween stuff. We have a wide range of everything.”
Porter said the Oktoberfest means a lot to her and she is thankful her employer allows her some flexibility in her work schedule to accommodate the time necessary to volunteer.
Porter’s daughter, Haley, is a student at St. Mary’s. “The school and church are both very important to us,” she said.
The basket raffle items will be open for viewing and to purchase tickets from 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturday. Winners will be announced at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The price is right for basket tickets. One ticket is $1 and people can buy six for $5. The baskets will be available for viewing Saturday inside Suddes Hall.
