PAnews.com, Port Arthur, Texas

November 1, 2008

Nederland Chamber thinks utility with raffle giveaway

By David Ball

NEDERLAND — NEDERLAND — There’s a good possibility Jackie Brown of Groves is driving across some field in his new Kubota utility vehicle this weekend.

The Nederland Chamber of Commerce wanted to do something different as a fund raiser this year, so they decided to raffle off the Kubota. The chamber drew Brown’s name during the giveaway event Thursday, Oct. 30 at The Tamale King at 2495 North Twin City Highway.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” Tony Thibodeaux, Nederland Chamber of Commerce president said. “The hurricane hurt us for ticket sales, so The Tamale King and chamber members came up with this fund raiser idea to do. We wanted to do something different this year. We may use it again in the future instead of selling a $6 tickets for gumbo. We had a pretty good return.”

All of the proceeds go to the chamber’s expensed incurred throughout the year.

Thibodeaux reported 1,000 tickets were sold for the raffle by Thursday evening.

Mark Martinez, opened The Tamale King in March this year and said he wanted attract attention to the fund raiser with the Kubota giveaway.

“I own one and it’s my favorite toy. We got it at Kubota Tractors (and Implements) in Beaumont. We got a good deal on the Kubota,” he said.