As many of you know, this is the forth year of what has turned into an ongoing event in Goshen. The rules remain the same – come closest to guessing the exact time and day that a 69-pound concrete block falls through the ice (without going over) and you’ll win half of all the proceeds. The block sits on a wooden pallet that holds a flag. The flag shows me where the block is when it gets completely covered in snow (as it did in 2005). The block is connected by a rope to an electric clock that’s plugged into an outlet in the gatehouse on our dam. Once the block falls through the ice or the ice floe moves away from the dam, the tension on the cord will pull the plug out of the wall socket and stop the clock.
This year’s fundraiser will benefit the lighting of the flag in Goshen’s Veteran’s Park. Like many communities, Goshen’s tribute to our Veterans includes a commemorative plaque and flag pole in the center of town. In the summertime, the flag is flown around the clock. The problem lies in that the flag is not lit between dusk and dawn as it should be. With the country at war, there isn’t a better time than now to show support for our flag. Proceeds will help purchase and install the equipment necessary to light the flag and keep it lit 24 hours a day.
Regular updates will be posted to this website. Click here if you need more tickets. Participants that include an e-mail address on their ticket stub will be added to an e-mail distribution list that is used to provide periodic updates and snapshots of the block. The current list includes several hundred addresses of people who are regularly entertained by these updates. The sooner your tickets are returned, the sooner you can become part of that exclusive group.
The deadline for ticket submissions is Tuesday, April 1st. Tickets received after that date (unless they were postmarked on or before 4/1) will be returned.
Here are a few tidbits from last year’s Meltdown to keep in mind as you make your selections for 2008:
· Of the 962 tickets submitted, 463 were from women, 380 were from men, 107 were from couples and 12 were anonymous donations.
· The ratio of AM to PM picks was 17% / 83% respectively. Interestingly enough, this was the same ratio as last year’s event.
· 40% of all the guesses were for times between April 1st and April 7th.
· April 4th was the most popular date with 71 picks. April 3rd was second place with 61 picks while April 6th was third with 59 picks.
· The favorite time was 3:00pm with 35 picks. The second most popular time was 2:00pm with 29 picks while 2:30pm was the third most popular choice with 26 picks. (Remember, the winner is the person who is the closest to the exact time the clock stops without going over.)
· Daylight savings time starts on Sunday, March 9th. Keep that in mind when making your selection.
· The official end of the previous 3 contests were as follows:
o 2007 – April 21st at 12 Noon
o 2006 – April 1st at 8:18 PM
o 2005 – April 12th at 4:47 PM
This raffle is expected to generate lots of discussion over the next several months. Please help spread the word. The more interest generated, the more successful the outcome will be.
As always…THINK SPRING!
Bob Labrie
Hammond Acres Association
(For more information - e-mail - bslabrie@msn.com, phone – 413-268-7110)
Mail ticket stubs to P.O. Box 923, Williamsburg, MA 01096-0923
Please make checks payable to “HAMMOND ACRES CLUB”
