For the next month, the Captain Meriwether Lewis AUSA Chapter of Joint Base-Lewis McChord will be selling 1,500 raffle tickets at $50 a piece in order to raise funds for the organization's next year of operations and outreach. Buying a ticket (which is tax-deductible) gives you a shot at winning one of two $5,000 cash prizes.

"Corporate businesses and community members in this area have been more than generous with us," said Jaimie Garrett, president of the AUSA Lakewood subchapter. "We are trying to think outside the box and take the burden off of them by just holding this one-time, one-stop fundraiser and not continuously asking them to contribute in this tough economy."

All told, Garrett said that if they can sell all of the tickets, the non-profit could net close to $63,000 after paying out the cash prizes and state gambling fees. Much of those funds will go towards AUSA's projects to support local Servicemembers and their families, including providing Thanksgiving meals to those in need, hosting redeployment events for units and also sending care packages downrange.

LTC (?) Jeff Brewster, an Army Reservist who was recently called up and deployed downrange, who is a dad to 7, and has worked with AUSA for years, bought a ticket and pledged that if his ticket is pulled, the money will go right back to AUSA.

Following the first 50 tickets being sold, the local subchapters - which includes DuPont, Steilacoom, Lakewood, Puyallup, Lacey, Tacoma, Milton and Nisqually - can sell tickets on their own.

The drawing will be held at the Burs Restaurant (6151 Steilacoom Boulevard Southwest in Lakewood) on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 9 a.m. Ticketholders do not need to be present to win.

For tickets, email Ken Swarner at publisher@ftlewisranger.com.