2009 ‘Laffle’ winners and beneficiaries
The beneficiaries are the clients of Paul’s Pantry, a food bank in Green Bay. The winners? All the generous employees who contributed 23 boxes of food (403 items) to the drive… and also the lucky ticketholders in the accompanying raffle — oops, we mean “Laffle” — organized by the UW-Green Bay Registrar’s Office.
The winners were selected at the drawing Friday, Dec. 18, in the Student Services suite. They were:
- Linda Peacock-Landrum — Christine McKay romance novels
- Marlene Strebel — picture quilt crafted by Toni Bergeon
- Krista Shaw — a bed/bath gift basket
- Mike Stearney — a CozyUp snuggie/slanket
- Barb Tomashek-Ditter — misc. gift basket
- Carol Brabant — Red Lobster gift certificate
- Amy Nelson — hand-dyed scarf by Judy Parins
- Sam Surowiec — Stained Glass Santa by Eileen Kolb
- Amanda Bartelt — Santa decoration
- Ruth Weeks — walnut box by Mike Stearney
For every non-perishable food item, donors received a “laffle” ticket for a prize drawing . (Some of the random prizes — also donated — were whimsical and fun.) Organizers of the drive say they picked the name because it wasn’t quite a raffle according to the technical rules that apply, and staff in Student Services are nothing if not precise when it comes to following rules, although they occasionally bend them. Also, Registrar’s staffers sometimes get typecast as serious rules-and-regulation people when in fact they enjoy a good laugh (in moderation, of course). It was also a chance for the UW-Green Bay community to gather food for the less fortunate in our own community while also giving campus participants a chance to win a fun prize (and maybe get some of their holiday shopping done). It was also a way to celebrate some of the hidden and not-so-hidden talents and generosity of co-workers.
Katrina Hrivnak of the Registrar’s Office offered credit to staff member Eileen Kolb for taking the initiative in organizing the food drive and prize program. “While the idea of hosting a food drive isn’t new, the tactic of including door prize incentives to invite participation and raise some holiday cheer was a different spin,” Hrivnak said. “The twenty-three boxes of food will make a difference.”
That’s Hrivnak in the photo above (at left, with Kolb and Russ Leary). She also thanked Shane Kohl for graciously serving as emcee (or would that be elf?) and prize commissioner for the Dec. 18 drawing.