For $150, you could walk away with $5,000. Or at least a plate of appetizers and a good story.
The Park Ridge Historical Society is selling just 100 tickets to its "Lucky Loser" raffle on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Pennyville Station, 112 Main St., according to the Society's event page. The twist: 99 names get drawn out one by one. The single ticket never pulled wins the grand prize.
Proceeds go toward restoring the city's 1934 Lil' Pirsch pumper fire truck, a piece of Park Ridge firefighting history that the Historical Society brought back to Illinois in 2020 after an eight-year absence. Ralph Bishop, a retired captain of the Park Ridge Fire Department, helped locate original department documents from the 1930s and 1960s tied to the truck, according to the Society's fire truck campaign page. A Journal & Topics photograph showed Bishop greeting the truck when it arrived back in Illinois.
The Society purchased the truck and has been fundraising for its restoration since at least 2022, when the Park Ridge Park District board noted the effort was also meant to raise broader awareness of the organization. On its campaign page, the Society said the restored truck would let it bring history "rolling down the streets of Park Ridge" beyond its brick-and-mortar center at Solomon Cottage, 721 N. Prospect Ave.
What ticket buyers get
The Aug. 20 event runs 7 to 9 p.m. Each $150 ticket includes appetizers at Pennyville Station, with a cash bar available. Winners do not need to be present.
Prize breakdown:
- Grand prize: $5,000
- Second place: $1,000
- Third place: $500
- Additional prizes awarded throughout the evening
The Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, posted the raffle announcement through author Janet Van De Carr on its website. Tickets are available online at app.aplos.com/aws/events/lucky_loser.
Coming up in Park Ridge
- Aug. 20 — Lucky Loser raffle, 7–9 p.m., Pennyville Station, 112 Main St.
- Aug. 27 — Back to School Bash, Prospect Park
