Deacon Desi Vikor asked the people at St. Matthew, “What’s a birthday without cake?” As they left Mass that Centennial Sunday, they were each invited to enjoy a slice.
A similar sentiment may be true for surprises. What’s a birthday without them? The Centennial Raffle is just the ticket when it comes to gifts.
Eight lucky winners will receive a gift package, and the money raised through raffle tickets will benefit (be gifted to!) Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh as well as the Office of Education and the Office of Vocations.
Think: Beach house vacation, tickets to North Carolina’s best attractions, golf in Pinehurst, a cozy bed and breakfast and city hotels.
There is one prize package for each of the eight deaneries, or geographical areas, in the diocese. The price of one raffle ticket is $10, or participants may purchase three for $20. It’s all electronic, tickets may be purchased online, and Bishop Luis Rafael will help choose random winners on the Diocese of Raleigh’s official 100th birthday, Dec. 12, 2024.
Full details are online for each prize and worth checking out. But, to give you an idea —
The prize package for the Albemarle Deanery, which includes the Outer Banks area, features beach house accommodations for a week, hang gliding lessons, two sweatshirts and a restaurant gift card.
Also beachy is the Cape Fear Deanery’s offering which is called “A Taste of Wilmington” and includes gift certificates for food and drink, tickets to the Battleship North Carolina and a sunset cruise on the water.
The Fayetteville Deanery package includes a round of golf in Pinehrust at the Country Club of North Carolina, a two-night stay in a condo adjacent to the 16th green at Pinehurst No. 5 and restaurant gift cards.
You’ve probably heard of a ghost walk, right? But have you ever heard of an estuarium? Well, it’s an aquarium at an estuary, or tidal mouth of a large river, where fresh and saltwater mix. North Carolina has one in Washington and tickets to it are part of the raffle prize, “New Bern: An Award-Winning Stay in Washington, NC.” The package also includes that spooky ghost walk, as well as a night’s accommodation at the Elmwood Bed & Breakfast Inn and dinner for two, prepared by Jamie Davis, at The Hackney. Davis is a 2024 James Beard Award finalist for best chef in the southeast.
The Newton Grove prize package is “A Weekend of Wine & Golf” and includes two rooms for one night and golf at River Landing. It also features a wine tasting for four people at the Duplin Winery in Rose Hill and a gift certificate to Mad Boar Restaurant & Pub.
The Piedmont Getaway is for fans of UNC sports and patrons of the performing arts alike. Think: $200 gift card to the DPAC, gift card for food, Durham hotel accommodations and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dean E. Smith Center and the Carolina Basketball Museum.
The prized sport for the Tar River Deanery area is football, specifically ECU football. The winner of this package will receive two hotel rooms for one night in downtown Greenville, four tickets (and a parking pass!) to a football game, a signed football and a tailgating experience. The prize also includes a voucher for dinner.
“Raleigh: The Ultimate North Hills Weekend” rounds out the raffle. This prize includes a gift card to the Renaissance Hotel (which may be used there or at other Marriotts), a dinner gift card to Vivace and a handbag (valued at $850) from Marta’s of Raleigh.