Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- They were promised a shot at a new car. A five dollar raffle ticket could have won them a $19,000 vehicle, but what they got was a call months later saying the deal was off.
Thousands of dollars in raffle tickets were sold for the chance to win a 2011 Chevy Malibu at Mary Nelson’s Youth Day Foundation Black Tie Gala. The car was never given away, and the foundation says it’s keeping some of the money.
It started off as a good idea. Mary Nelson – in her quest to help kids in need – wanted to raffle off a new car. The problem: She didn’t own it yet. Nelson promised to buy it, and in good faith, the dealer allowed her to take it to events like the Youth Day Barbecue, where she tried to sell raffle tickets. However, as the big day approached, Nelson hadn’t made nearly enough money.
“Only making $4,000 on the car raffle, you know the tickets themselves, I couldn't see myself taking away from the center,” Youth Day founder Mary Nelson said.
Nelson would have had to dip into the foundation’s funds to pay the balance. But even if she had the money, one day before the raffle, Nelson was told she didn’t have the proper state gaming license to give the car away.
“I didn’t know I needed one,” Nelson said.
A spokesperson with the New York State Racing and Wagering Board tells us the board does not commonly see this scenario. But it has told organizations in the past that they can postpone or cancel a raffle as along as each ticket holder is contacted and given the option of receiving a refund.
Nelson is in the process of doing just that.
She has since mailed letters to ticket holders explaining what happened and is now asking them if they want a refund or want to donate the price of their tickets.
Nelson has never tried to raffle a car before. She said in no way was she trying to deceive anyone. She says she's now trying to make things right, but the majority of ticket holders are deciding to donate the money instead of taking the refund.
If you’d like a refund for your tickets and haven’t heard from the Youth Day Foundation, give the Youth Center a call at 422-5690.
