A cart for a cause

Published 9:16 pm Saturday, July 17, 2010

It’s not your average golf cart.

It has a custom paint and detail job, lift kit, oversized custom tires and rims.

Best of all, it could cost you just $10.

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The souped-up Yamaha golf cart is being raffled away by the Suffolk Rotary Club this year.

The golf cart marks a change from the club’s usual car or motorcycle giveaway. But some things haven’t changed: The vehicle has a high value — $7,000 — the tickets are cheap — $10 each — and the money goes to the club’s favorite charities.

“We wanted to bring the ticket cost down and keep the business in Suffolk,�� said Bruce Bowles, who is organizing the raffle. “Last year we did a bigger motorcycle and we’ve done cars, and we wanted to do something just a little bit smaller. [The carts] have become popular vehicles, and you can use them just about everywhere.”

The cart was purchased from Custom Carts Unlimited, and the custom designs are by Grafik Trenz.

Since 2002, the raffle has been an annual event to raise money for the Rotary’s charity fund. In 2009, the group donated more than $46,000 to local and international charities, including the Boys and Girls Club, Suffolk Family YMCA, Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts and Meals on Wheels.

For seven years, Rotary raffled motorcycles; last year, the organization tried its first car.

While the club never has lost money on a raffle, the smaller vehicle this year will help the affordability of the tickets.

“We have 2,500 tickets available, and we’re hoping we sell out of all them,” Bowles said. “We’ve done it in years past, we’d love to do it again.”

Tickets will be available at the Rotary’s TGIF booth and will be sold at Peanut Fest.

The drawing will be held Oct. 10 on the main stage.

For more information, contact Bruce Bowles at 934-8101.