THEY GAVE AWAY EIGHT NEW HARLEYS....

As promised, The Boys and Girls Club in Aztec, New Mexico, held one of the best motorcycle giveaway raffles around on March 15, 2008. The club gave away eight brand-new Harley-Davidsons in its annual fund-raising raffle. Aztec, is about 36 miles from Durango, Colorado.

“We’ve been doing this since 2000 and it’s always worked out pretty well for us,” explained board member Mike Paschall. “We get good response. Sometimes it’s just somebody buying a single ticket saying, ‘It’s my contribution,’ other times we have people buying several tickets. We appreciate the support, it helps us keep going.”

Funds raised during the event are used to pay for the club’s facility, programs, staff, and teen center. Paschall said the club serves about 1500 kids in the Aztec area, in western New Mexico, with a variety of programs, including a separate teen center for older kids, sports programs, and after school activities.

This year, the club gave away a Sportster XL1200 Custom, a FLSTN Softail Deluxe, a FLHRC Road King Classic, a FXSTC Softail Custom, a FLSTF FatBoy, and a FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic. Additionally, there was cash to be had. 1st prize was a choice of all bikes and $1000, 2nd prize, a choice of remaining bikes and $900, 3rd prize, a choice of remaining bikes and $800, 4th prize, a choice of three bikes and $700, 5th prize, a choice of the two remaining bikes and $600, and the 6th prize winner took home the last bike and $500.

In the “Early Bird Drawing,” which was held after the first 1000 tickets were sold, a 2008 Black Denim Street Bob was given away. And, finally, in a drawing available only to ticket-holders who were present at the club for the drawing, a 2008 Fat Bob was given away. Paschall said 3212 tickets were sold in all.

The winners, in no particular order, are Joseph Ergle of San Antonio, TX, Stephen L. Toles Tempe, AZ, James Doran Farmington, NM, Roger Ensor Farmington, NM, Reynold T. Becenti Tohatchi, NM, Ben Stair Albuquerque, NM, Bennie L. Wooley Bloomfield, NM, and Jeff Holcomb Farmington, NM.

Making the drawing that much more special, according to Paschall, was who pulled the tickets. Braiden Waggoner, an Aztec local and former member of the club who was only ten days returned from serving in Baghdad, Iraq, with the New Mexico National Guard.

“That really made things special,” Paschall said. “When he was introduced, people went nuts. It was pretty special.”