Lions Club of Royal Oak, Michigan

Century Club Dinner

In 1973, the Royal Oak Lions Club decided to replace their annual Musical-Variety Show with an alternative fundraiser. The Musical-Variety Show was taking long hours to produce and the profits received from it were dwindling each year. We decided on an annual dinner with door prizes and christened it the Royal Oak Lions Century Club Dinner. In its 28 year history over $220,000 has been raised for charity.

Every year, club members sell 200 tickets for the dinner, which is usually held on the 1st or 2nd Thursday in November at the Club Venetian. In 1996, the cost per ticket was increased to $125 and more prize money was added. The ticket entitles the purchaser to dinner for two with a cash bar. Live music is provided, with dancing available at the end of the evening. After the meal, the master of ceremonies calls off all two hundred ticket numbers which are randomly selected from a drum. The last ticket drawn wins the grand prize of $6,000. The 199th ticket drawn wins $2,000, while 198th wins $500 and 197th wins $250. In addition, there are ten other cash prizes of $50 and $100 and 30 donated non-cash prizes, with values of $25 to $50. Any ticket drawn that does not receive a cash or non-cash prize is awarded a $5 supplementary raffle ticket. The supplementary raffle is a 50/50 raffle with the drawing at the end of the evening. Additional tickets to this raffle are sold during the evening at $5 apiece. A minimum guaranteed prize fund is $650, including at least $325 for first prize.

Tax laws require federal withholding on winnings over $2,000, so the grand prizewinner nets a check for $4,355. Information on both the $6,000 and $2,000 winners is provided to the IRS. The IRS can also request information on other winners of over $100. Note that because of the raffle element involved, the tickets cannot be deducted as charitable contributions.

Last year, the Century Club netted just over $11,000 after expenses which went into the major activities fund for subsequent donations to such charitable organizations as Leader Dog School; Beaumont Silent Children's Program; Penrickton Center for the Blind; Welcome Home for the Blind; Madonna University; The Salvation Army; Boys & Girls Club and numerous other charities as well as eyeglasses for those in need in the community.

Lion Pecky Lewis, Co-chairman
Lion Bob Westbury, Co-chairman

Royal Oak Lions Charities
Century Club Dinner - November 8, 2001

Receipts:
Ticket sales (200 @ $125.00)		$25,000.00
50/50 Raffle Sales (sales at dinner)		$990.00
Value of Donated Prizes (26)		$647.00
Cash Donations for Add'l Prizes (7)		$175.00
Total Receipts		$26,812.00

Disbursements:
Dinners (210 @ $18.95 plus tax)	$4,218.27
Prize Money Payouts	$9,500.00
Donated Prizes Paid Out (see Receipts)	$647.00
Additional Prizes Paid Out	$175.00
50/50 Raffle Winners (Cash)	$885.00
Ticket Printing (50/50 only)	$88.50
Raffle License	$50.00
Music	$450.00
Total Disbursements	$16,013.77

Excess Receipts over Disbursements		$10,798.23
(Budgeted Profit was $11,000.00)

Below are some of the photos from this wonderful dinner. Click here for more photographs.