Holiday Wreath Raffle at Mount Wachusett Community College
By Tarra Kruse
Observer Contributor
The MWCC staff is organizing the annual Winterfest to help raise money for the Student Emergency Loan Fund this month. Student clubs have participated in this event by designing Christmas wreaths.
The Student Emergency Loan Fund was created to help students who need help buying textbooks, food, bus passes, gas, and paying for small expenses. Kathy Matson, Director of Student Services said, “any student can qualify for this small no-interest loan, if they need books or if unexpected expenses come up.” She added, “sometimes students fall on hard times, and there is a need for help.”
Raffles have been successful at the Winterfest, including Holiday Christmas Wreaths and Gift Baskets. There are about 30 active student clubs in the college. In the past, 22-25 clubs typically helped create a wreath for the raffle. Matson said, “so far, there are 9 clubs who have committed to this event, but we are hoping for more. Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, the student clubs that will participate this year will be fewer. This is due to many students being remote.”
Each student club that signs up for the event designs a decorative holiday wreath. At the same time, they choose a theme that could include something that represents their club. The Dentist Hygienist Club, in past years, has designed a wreath with an electric toothbrush. While other student clubs have generously designed wreaths with gift cards and lottery tickets; some even have had high ticket items, including iPads, to help boost the ticket sales at the raffle.
The Winterfest has been a way to support local vendors while offering the convenience of holiday shopping on campus, but this year’s event will look different due to the lack of students on campus. “It wouldn’t be very beneficial for vendors to be invited to this year’s Winterfest,” Matson said.
The MWCC student clubs have designed holiday wreaths in the past years, raising money for the Emergency Student Loan Funds. In 2018, for example, over $4,600 was raised with $1,500 of that from raffle ticket sales. The raffle tickets sell for $2 for a sheet of twenty-six. You place the ticket in which wreath you would like to win. The event is open to the public. MWCC is still requiring facial masks upon entrance due to COVID. It will be a 3-day event starting December 7 through December 9. The hours will be 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Dec. 7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 8, and 8 a.m.-12 noon on Dec. 9. The drawing for the wreaths will be at noon on the last day in the commons area, entrance C, at the Gardner campus.
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