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Last updated on Tuesday, December 26, 2017
(BRAZIL) - Clay County’s Ronald Leach got to open his biggest and best Christmas present this year a bit early.
Leach unlocked the doors and climbed behind the wheel of a RAM 1500 pickup truck he won from the Indiana Sheriffs' Youth Ranch.
His odds were one in 38,280. Tickets were sold from LaPorte County to Clark County, LaGrange County to Vanderburgh County. Yet, the Clay County neighbor of the new Indiana Sheriffs' Youth Ranch won this year's raffle pick-up sponsored by John Jones Auto Group of Corydon, Greenville, Salem and Scottsburg.
Leach's ticket was drawn Dec. 15 by Marion County Sheriff John Layton, president of the not-for-profit Youth Ranch board, who handed him the keys today along with Clay County Sheriff Paul Harden.
Leach said he bought his winning ticket directly from Harden, because "the Youth Ranch mission of sheriffs mentoring future law enforcement deputies and bonding with at-risk kids is a great cause to support."
Raffle proceeds will benefit our Youth Ranch project now under development, Harden said. "Here in our West Central Indiana community, sheriffs and deputies are building a permanent home for our youth leadership camps, which we've hosted for middle schoolers the past 38 years."
In announcing the winner, Layton thanked Youth Ranch supporters statewide for buying tickets at their local fairs, festivals and offices. Harden singled out four sheriffs whose offices and communities showed exceptional support for the statewide youth project in displaying the truck and selling raffle tickets:
Best One-Day Festival Visit: Marshall County Blueberry Festival and Sheriff Matthew Hassel;
Best Multi-Day Festival Visit: Parke County Covered Bridge Festival and Sheriff Justin Cole;
Best One-Day Fair Visit: Lake County Fair and Sheriff Oscar Martinez, Jr.; and
Best Multi-Day Fair Visit: Marion County Fair and Layton.
Harden also extended special thanks to Layton's Marion County Sheriff's Reserve Division for adopting the raffle project as a department unit, successfully selling $2,555 in tickets and helping the Youth Ranch surpass its first-year goal.
In all, the raffle truck traveled this summer and fall to 64 fundraisers, festivals and fairs, where raffle tickets started at just $2 each with quantity discounts.
"John Jones, owner and operator of John Jones Auto Group, hopes the raffle becomes a growing, annual fundraiser for the teen-focused, pro-police charity," Layton said.
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