December 17, 2007

It's the American dream to be a homeowner, and wouldn't it be a dream to win a house.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme plans to make that dream a reality for one lucky ticket holder during its House of Ten Thousand Dreams Home Raffle.

"You have a better chance to win in this raffle than any other raffle. Plus you are helping a great organization and our greatest asset, children," said Tim Blaylock, chief professional officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

For the second year, the organization is selling raffle tickets at $150 each for the chance to win a Channel Islands Harbor home or $1 million in cash. The grand prize drawing will be March 31. Second prize is a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle.

A total of 18,000 tickets will be sold.

"This is not like any other raffle or lottery," Blaylock said. "You want to buy early. You want to be eligible for the additional cash drawings."

Club supporters are encouraged to buy tickets now so they will be eligible to win more than 200 prizes. On Friday, winners will be announced for seven prizes, including a first-place prize of $10,000.

2 more early drawings set

Wednesday is the deadline for the first early-bird drawing. Two additional early-bird drawings will be Jan. 31 and Feb. 29.

Blaylock said that the winners of the early-bird drawings will be re-entered into the remaining drawings. So even if a person wins a cash prize in January, he or she can still win the house in March, Blaylock said.

The top prize is a two-story, 2,800-square-foot single-family home to be built in 2008 in the gated island Port Meridian region of the Seabridge community.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton donated the house with an estimated value of $1 million. The home will have four bedrooms, a master retreat, loft, three bathrooms, an optional fifth bedroom, two-car garage and 45-foot boat dock.

8,500 tickets sold in 2006

Last year, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme didn't give away a Seabridge house as planned because it didn't sell enough raffle tickets. A minimum of 15,000 tickets need to be sold. Last year, the group sold 8,500 tickets, so the grand prize winner received $402,000 instead of having the option of the house or $1 million.

"We have to make the money before we can give it away," Blaylock said.

Proceeds from the raffle support the Boys & Girls Clubs' goal of expanding to serve 10,000 children between the ages of 6 and 18 at 24 locations in Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

"The whole idea is that we serve 7,000 kids, but we want to serve 10,000 kids. But we have to have resources to serve those children," Blaylock said.

It costs the club $450 per child annually to provide the program. The membership fee is $15, and no child is turned away for the inability to pay, Blaylock said. The group relies on fundraising like the raffle to supplement its $4.4 million budget.

"Not only does this beat out the lottery, but every ticket purchased helps create a positive place for kids and a better community," Blaylock said.

For tickets, visit www.tenthousanddreams.net and download an entry form, or call 866-720-2582.

VenturaCountyStar.com