We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The North Central Montana Shrine Club is selling tickets for their annual beef raffle. The beef raffle and Vidalia Onion sales are the only two fundraisers conducted by the regional Shriners’ group. According to Blaine County Shrine members, the proceeds from the beef raffle and onion sales all go to support ‘sponsored patients’ from this area. Raffle winners will be drawn on September 17.
During the last year nine children have been sponsored patients by the local Montana Shriners Club. The children receive treatment at the Spokane Shriners Hospitals for Children. Patients being treated at the Shriners’ hospitals in the United States and Canada are treated at no charge. Shriner Frank Billmayer explained, “The local Shrine club uses the beef raffle and onion sales proceeds to pay for the travel expenses of our sponsored patients and their parents. This takes away the financial challenge of getting the kids to Spokane for treatment.”
This year’s raffle includes half a premium beef as first prize, second prize is a hind quarter and third prize is a front quarter. The beef was anonymously donated “to help the children.” Raffle tickets can be purchased from any Blaine County Shriner. In Harlem contact Kim Hansen. In the Chinook area, stop by Pehrson’s Tire Shop or contact Frank Pehrson, Sr., Frank Sharples, Bob Sharples, Frank DePriest, Frank Billmayer or Larry Surber.
The Mission of the Shriners
Shriners are all about helping children with medical challenges. Billmayer shared a business card that every Shriner carries with them. He said, “Shriners carry this card to share with a child we might encounter or hear about that needs medical attention.” Once a Shriner signs the card and gives it to a family, there are directions and contacts to determine if the potential patient is a good fit with the Shriner resources and goals.
Shriners’ hospitals specialize in treatment of children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Shriners support 22 medical locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Local Shriners are happy to help parents with children needing specialized medical attention to connect to the Shriners Hospitals for Children system.
