2011
29th Annual Chamber Raffle

Brian Aitchison was the president of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce in 1997. Years later he is the winner of the $4,000 prize. Aitchison is no stranger to the raffle, having won $150 in last year's raffle. In addition to his winning tickets Aitchison has continuously bought and sold tickets for years.

As Aitchison, with Dennis, Ricker, & Brown Insurance, was out of town at the time of the raffle, he was represented by his associate Linda Mercy.

Some might call it beginners luck. Chamber Director Gunner McCain of McCain Consulting in Waterbury purchased his first ever Chamber raffle ticket this year. Not so lucky, as his was number was the 16th number called.

Attending the event with wife Mona and friends Dion and Terri Carlyle, however, seemed to enhance the beginner's luck for the evening.

Together they bought raffle tickets for ticket number 63, which was raffled and put into the game with only 50 numbers left. Lucky number 63 hung on to the very end -- making history, and them $4,000 richer!

The 27th time was a charm for Washington County Senator Bill Doyle who finally took home a share of the top prize in Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce annual raffle.

A ticket holder every year since its inception in 1983, Doyle decided not to tempt fate Wednesday night.

After brief discussion with fellow-semifinalist Roy Scott of Vermont Fire Extinguisher, the two elected to split both the $4,000 top prize and the $500 runner-up award. Scott acted on behalf of his ticket's co-owner, former Barre mayor and state representative Harry Monti.

No one enjoyed last week’s Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce raffle more than its past president who left with a smile and $4,000. The holder of the 150th and final ticket, Dona Bate of dbatespeaking, unabashedly celebrated when Vic Fecteau, the final contender, was eliminated. Fecteau won the $500 second prize.

The raffle has been an annual Chamber event for 26 years and has been the key to the purchase and expansion of the organization’s office complex in Berlin. The first raffle was organized by Marion Milne as she completed her term as president in 1983, and the honorary life member has been chair or co-chair of the event ever since.
Proceeds from the raffle represented the down payment for purchase of the Chamber office in 1991, and nine years later, the seed money for a major expansion.