The new playground equipment at Cold Springs Park.
Courtesy | Facebook
A raffle of firearms will raise money for new playground equipment at Cold Springs Park.
The Kiwanis Club of Hillsdale will sell raffle tickets for $20, awarding a gun every day of December. Every cent will support the Cold Springs Park Project, said Wes Wickham, president of the Hillsdale Kiwanis Club. The project seeks to restore the park, located at the intersection of Lewis Street and Westwood Street, offering new playground equipment for children in the community.
Wickham was entrusted with the Cold Springs Park Project in 2020 due to his construction expertise. Wickham said he was eager to help restore the park he remembers enjoying as an elementary school student.
“They needed somebody with a construction background to relate with the city to get permits and finish it up,” Wickham said. “So I went in, worked with the city, and got what we needed to proceed with the park.”
Wickham said the process is tied to the Michigan Lottery’s daily three-number draw. Winning tickets are even re-entered, creating multiple chances to win.
“We have tickets numbered from 000 to 999, meaning 1,000 tickets will be sold,” Wickham said. “There will also be a different gun for each day of the raffle.”
Wickham said Kiwanis Club partnered with Litchfield Outdoors to organize a gun raffle. Given the financial backing such raffles garner in the community, Litchfield Outdoors will help Hillsdale Kiwanis by assembling a package of firearms for the raffle. Following this, participants must proceed with the necessary formalities: securing a state raffle number, completing some paperwork, and issuing their license number for identity verification purposes.
“We were looking for a fundraiser that would be profitable enough to help support the next phase of our park plans,” Wickham said. “Gun raffles seem to be financially supported by our county and community at this time.”
Wickham said he used to go to the park when he was young. He said it remains a cherished spot in the community to this day.
“Cold Springs Park is a small neighborhood park that has a long history,” Wickham said.
The Kiwanis Club of Hillsdale started in 1924.
As Hillsdale Kiwanis approaches its 100th anniversary in September 2024, Wickham said he believes the 31-day gun raffle will position the club to continue making a difference in the lives of local children.
“If it can make a difference in one child’s life, it’s a plus,” Wickham said. “We need to invest in them now so that good things can happen. These kids are our future, and they always have been, but it’s more important today than anything.”