VFP Chapter 27 Canoe Raffles

In 1996, Chapter #27 was looking for greater exposure — a better and more frequent way to meet the public and spread the message of peace and non-violence. We also needed another source of income to fund our operations.

Encouraged by VFP member Jim Steinhagen and others, Barry Riesch proposed a canoe raffle to Sam Ross, an avid canoeist and member of the Minnesota Canoe Association.

With the assistance of his fellow canoeists, Sam built the first canoe. Raffle tickets were sold at various events and patrons agreed to display a picture of the canoe and our logo, and to secure the cans where customers placed their ticket stubs.

The following year Barry asked Bob Barron — a Korean veteran, member of the MCA, and a canoe builder — to build the canoe for VFP. He agreed. The price was negotiated, and Bob has built a canoe every year for the past eight years. The present 2003-4 model is Bob’s fifty-second canoe. Canoe raffles currently generate 20% of our budget.

Randy Besse wins 2004 VFP Canoe Raffle

Congratulations to this year's canoe raffle winner Randy Besse!

Congratulations to Randy Besse for being this years winner of our beautiful cedar strip canoe. Randy bought her ticket at the Cinco de Mayo festival in St. Paul in May of 2004. Randy has never canoed before and was anxious to take it out for a spin along with her husband Darrin. We at Veterans for Peace appreciate her support and hope she will get many years of pleasure and peace from her new canoe.

Thanks to all of you who once again made our yearly canoe raffle a success. Many hours go into lining up events, transporting the canoe, staffing the table, and of course selling those packets of tickets you get in the mail. The rewards are many, however, as we gain public support for our efforts, get the chance to dialogue with others about what VFP is all about, discuss varying points of view, and almost always gain thanks for our work and for being “out there.” Great people watching also. Please, if you haven’t already, step up and partake of this opportunity. We always need more folks to staff the table, move the canoe and find events where we might take the canoe. Yours in peace, Barry Riesch.

Thea Johansen, “Pop” Wagner, win 2003 VFP Canoe Raffle

Congratulations to this year's canoe raffle winners Thea Johansen and Gordon (Pop) Wagner from St. Paul!

Thea was the actual winner, since Pop purchased the ticket in her name. She had a double surprise of not only winning the canoe, but also in finding out that she was registered. Apparently, her husband Pop has done similar things in the past where she has been the winner. They are both avid canoeists and will get much pleasure out of their new cedar stripper.

Thanks to all of you who sold and purchased raffle tickets this year. We concluded our most profitable year yet. This was ue primarily to our going into Calhoun Square almost monthly during the off seasons. The canoe raffle continues to be our best form of fund raising and outreach as we talk and come into contact with a large cross-section of our Twin Cities and surrounding community. We love the opportunity to tell folks about Veterans For Peace, and the support is very rewarding. We encourage those who haven’t already joined us to sell tickets to do so. We also need a couple of teams to pick up and deliver the canoe to our different sites.

We are in need of new sites to take the canoe. If you have an event in your community (festival, arts and crafts show, etc.) that you think would be appropriate, please contact Barry Riesch at (651) 641-1087, or the VFP office at (612) 821-9141.