TWIN FALLS — The United Way non-profit organization has partnered with Parade of Homes to put on a fundraiser with an extraordinary prize. Donors will have the chance to be entered into a raffle where they will be able to win a piece of land and build their dream home.
The idea has been in the making for a couple of years already. United Way first wanted to partner with a construction company and build a home on the lot, but there were a lot of criteria, and the housing market is too bus right now to make it work.
Resource Development Director for United Way of South Central Idaho, Sonya Haines, said, "We decided to do this drawing with the land only, and then allow people to build the home of their dreams in Kanaka Rapids."
People who would like to register must text, "A lot of Dreams" to the phone number 555-888. Afterward, people will receive information about the land and see a tour of the space through a drone video the non-profit provides.
People then have the choice to donate to the fundraiser. Twenty-five dollars is the minimum donation, and that gets your name entered six times into the lottery, and as you give more money, the more times your name gets entered.
COVID-19 has prompted a lot of this to be done digitally. So, United Way is also offering smaller prizes and giveaways for people who share and post on Facebook and consistently get the word out about this fundraiser.
Organizers are expecting that close to $100,000 can be raised throughout the process. United Way supports over 200 other non-profits locally, ranging from homeless shelters, food pantries, schools, and domestic violence shelters. The non-profit plans to put the funds towards these many needs throughout the community.
Haines said, "So a hundred percent of the proceeds will stay local, and that is a very important piece of this fundraiser is that we definitely can turn around and inject back into our community and make some great impact directly."
The fundraising campaign starts this week and ends on February 11th, 2021, where the land will be given away at a special event at KOTO.
