Ideas for snowmobile club fundraisers!?!?

[catguy]

I'm just looking for some ideas as to what other clubs out there have had for generating dollars to maintain trails, save for new groomer and the like--
Our club currently sells haydays raffle tickets in the summer, holds a Trail Maintenance Fundraiser (fancy name for beer bash) in early december, holds a ham and egg breakfast in which all landowners receive free tickets for their families--this event has been on a downward spiral for the past several years and currently is about a wash after bills are paid and landowners served. 2 yrs ago we picked up a new fundraiser- hosting a euchre tournament.

At our first meeting of the year we discussed ways of boosting profits to keep ahead of groomer repairs, (which have been plentiful!) and try to save up for a newer, more reliable unit. We are located just southwest of Twin Cities in a mostly rural/farm country setting. I would guess that we get very little tourism from other areas, probably only on the rare occaision that we are the only area with snow.

On a similar thread called radar run someone mentioned ice fishing tournament. I thought that was a good idea!

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[jeepbob47]

our hockey club sells tickets that play the pick 3 evening game in the illinois lottery. the ticket is ten dollars and is good for a month of plays. so if the buyer has ticket number 341 that number is in play for say the month of november and they can win multiple times. you can make the monday thru thursday payout fifty dollars and the friday night payout $100.00. its a easy seller.

 

[polarisrider1]

Beer tent. works big time. Bring in local bands for a battle of the Bands. get the word out. Ice fishing tournament will work, radar run liability is to high. Raffle off a sled and drag the raffle out until margins are made. So many tickets for so much money. No time limit. Raffle goes until all tickets sold. example: 3000 tickets at $100 ea. raffle a $10,000 sled. Check state regulations before hand. In MI. a non profit Org. needs to be set up first. Poker runs are a great way to raise money.oops! we call these fun runs now.

 

[t660redrocket]

Brian-
New Prague needs snow! Once that happens the cash will flow. THe other problem I see is that the snowdrifters seems more interested in talking about riding than actually riding. I thought about joining a few years back with a buddy of mine. He was a member for a few years. Every time he'd try to get a group together to go riding they have 1,000 excuses not to... or they'd just want to go bar to bar. I have not joined the snowdrifters because I see no value in doing so. Provide value to the area riders and you'll see increases all around. Right now it seems like it's a group of guys who like to get together for club meetings once a omnth and drink beer around a keg without putting over 10 miles on their sled for the year. Until then The U.P. clubs will be getting my money!

 

[marty__kms]

Up to $1500.00 from Ski Doo, I am surprised no one has made mention of Ski Doo's Million Dollar Club Support Program for 2009. It has been advertised in all the industry magazines, direct mail and on skidoo.com for details.

 

[united]

WOW. Right Doo offering $10 donation per club member or something like that.

 

[bouncer]

How about a poker run with a party after???

 

[t660redrocket]

I guess I didn't mean to gripe too much earlier. I realized I was complaining and didn't offer a solution. Here's my idea........
Book Johnny Holm or Hairball or some other large drawing band at the Park Ballroom. Then annouce that 10% of the profits will benefit breast cancer or some other very worth while cause. $1000 for the hall, $2500 +/- for the band. MIght even be able to throw in a raffle as part of it. Should be able to make a few grand for the club and get good publicity for donating to a great cause!

 

[pfd_crew]

we do a bowling tournement for the fire dept. every year, brings in a little extra cash

 

[blu2u2]

The past two years our club has had a raffle/buffet dinner. We sell 250 tickets at $100 each. The ticket admits two people with free beer and soda. Grand prize in the raffle last year was a gift certificate for $7,500 to one of the three local sled dealers or $5,000 cash. Our club also gave away $2,500 cash for the 1st place prize and $1,000 cash for the 2nd place prize. We had seven local businesses donate gift cards valued from $100 to $250 for prizes 3rd to 9th. Finally the club gave out $100 bills for prize 10 thru 16. In addition to the above, we had smaller door prizes, 50/50 drawings, and a booze basket drawing.

For each of the two years we made between $11,000 and $13,000 after all expenses were paid!

With the economy being slow the tickets were a little harder to sell last year. This is working well for our club as we have made 3-4 times each year the amount that we normally bring in at grass drags.

 

[ezra]

take your club money and put it on the vikes to win superbowl.

 

[ubee]

Put on a crow feed for Packer Fans!!!

 

[550supersport]

my grandpa brought the groomer out along side the railroad bed in lac du' flambo and had a big tent and sold hot dogs and hamburgers.

 

[lookin4snow]

We have a bonfire every December (or when the trails first open) to kick off the season. We bring the groomers out, put out some signs, and haul a 4 place enclosed trailer down by the fire. There we have chili, hot dogs, hot chocolate, and other assorted goods and ask only for donations. We have had over 100 sleds there at any given time. We have come out very well.

 

[lookin4snow]

I found a photo from one of the bonfire'<font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font> is a lot of fun.

 

[catguy]

Wow-thanks huge for all the responses! I've forwarded out to our clubs email list for the skidoo $10 program. We'll definetly discuss the others at the next meeting. Keep 'em coming, hopefully others will be able to put these ideas to good use too!

 

[jim_golding]

We do a spring and fall fish fry every year. We make a profit of about $2K per fish fry. We also work at town festival operating a truck pull track, and food stand. That varies depending on the weather and the number of clubs that the proceeds are split between, some years it is close to $5K. It takes a lot of time since the festival is over 4 days with many man hours each day.