What's a Mystery Box?

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

I know I left you hanging after the silent auction post a couple weeks ago, where I ended with a teaser about Mystery Boxes. So, without further ado, in addition to the Silent Auction at EECM's annual fundraising event, A Flavor of the East End, attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase Mystery Boxes.

A Mystery Box is sort of like a raffle -- only better! We will have for sale 200 brightly colored round boxes. Inside each box will be a poker chip with a number which enters you in the raffle for the Grand Prize (two round-trip tickets anywhere Southwest Airlines flies -- increasingly valuable given the rising cost of gas this summer!). Simple enough. You buy a box; you drop your chip in the grab bag; if we pull it out, you win.

But wait...that's not all. It gets better. In addition to a raffle chip, some of the Mystery Boxes will also contain smaller prizes (or vouchers for them -- don't think that a bigger box is necessarily a better bet) that are yours immediately. Things like CDs or drink tickets or gift certificate to local stores. At the moment, we are offering a 1 in 4 chance of winning a secondary prize, but we're hoping to increase that to 1 in 3, depending on what other donations come in.

But wait...that's not all! It gets better again. (Hard to believe, I know). Not only do you have a chance to win the grand prize -- not only do you have a chance to win a smaller cool prize -- but the value of your donation to EECM is doubled when you buy a Mystery Box.

Say what? That's right!

The proceeds from our Mystery Box sales will go to benefit EECM's Reach Out to City Kids (ROCK) campaign. Thanks to an anonymous friend, all donations to EECM's Children & Youth programs -- including the Mystery Boxes -- made between May 15 and June 30th will be matched, up to $10,000.

This means that when you buy a $20 Mystery Box, you're actually donating $40 to EECM. Wow. I don't think it gets any better than that!