On Monday, the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky drew the winning raffle ticket for an “Enchanted” grand prize: floor-level seats to Taylor Swift’s concert in Cincinnati this Friday.
The Emergency Shelter is a low-barrier and harm-reduction overnight shelter and daytime service center in Covington. The shelter received the tickets from an anonymous donor who helped launch the fundraising opportunity.
“It’s been so much bigger than we could have ever imagined,” Executive Director of Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky Kim M. Webb said in a release, “we’re grateful that supporters near and far rallied around us.”
The results were “unprecedented.” The shelter raised over $93,000 by selling over 2,000 raffle tickets to over 1,300 supporters. Almost 1,200 had never financially supported the shelter’s mission before.
“Many folks told us that even if they didn’t win, they were proud to support a great cause,” Webb said.
The winner was Heidi Adams of Maineville, Ohio, who made the 30-mile drive the same day of the drawing to claim her prize, including gift cards to Molly Malone’s Irish Pub and Agave & Rye.
Raffle tickets were sold for $45 each, which is the organizational cost to provide one night in the shelter for one guest. Their continuum of care includes year-round emergency sheltering and transitional beds through a housing work program, a Daytime Navigation and Engagement Center, free and consistent shower and laundry services, a healthcare clinic, and street outreach.
Donations to support the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky can be made at emergencyshelternky.org/help-out/donate/. To learn more about ESNKY and its mission, visit emergencyshelternky.org or call (859) 572-1623.