A local private school raffled off a shiny, blue 2006 Mini Cooper Monday to provide tuition assistance to its students. It's the second year Veritas Academy in Texarkana, Ark., has held the drawing. Last year, ticket-holders were hoping to win a 1999 Porsche Boxter Turbo.
Jennifer Carnes, elementary administrator, said the school bought the car from a private owner and sold 100 tickets at $100 apiece to earn funds for the school.
"We needed a fundraiser and this is what we decided on," she said. They sold the same number of tickets last year, she said, and the monies don't necessarily fund a certain amount of scholarships at Veritas but do help families with tuition.
"The way our scholarships work is families get a discount when they go in and fill out financial information. They can get a percentage off their tuition," she said. "It helps us recoup those monies. That money doesn't come from anywhere. It's just a discount we give based on financial situations."
To keep things official, Veritas had their accountant, Troy Lemons, with Holliday, Lemons and Cox, select the winner from names in a glass jar on a table to the right of the Mini Cooper.
Students watched in anticipation to hear the name of the winner.
Mike Ashby, who was not present at the drawing, is the lucky owner of the car, which features all-leather seating and a sunroof.
Carnes said the car had been sitting in the school's parking lot for 30 days while the raffle was going on but that the students were finally getting a chance to really look at the vehicle.
"They're pretty excited about it," she said.
For more information on the school, go to www.veritasacademytxk.com.