The Cheyenne River Youth Project® in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has just launched its 2013 Christmas Star Quilt Raffle, giving members of the public a chance to win the distinctive, queen-size Lakota star quilt appropriately named “A Christmas Star.” The blue and white quilt is hand-crafted by Bonnie LeBeau, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Star quilts originated among the Great Plains nations after European contact. The star pattern evolved from the nations’ original buffalo-robe designs.
“Our people simply adopted the newcomers’ quilting techniques and adapted them to suit our culture,” said Tammy Eagle Hunter, CRYP’s executive director. “A star quilt is a truly one-of-a-kind item to add to your home or give to a loved one. For this year’s Christmas star quilt raffle, we’re adding an extra challenge — we’re hoping to raise $2,500 in honor of CRYP’s 25th anniversary. All proceeds will benefit our youth programming and services.”
Tickets are already on sale and may be purchased until Tuesday, December 24. CRYP will conduct the drawing and announce the winner on Friday, December 27; the organization will then ship the quilt to the winner free of charge.
“There are several ways people can help with the raffle,” Eagle Hunter said. “First, buy tickets. They are $1 each or $5 for a six-ticket packet. You also can sell tickets for us, and help spread the word by telling family and friends, sharing information on Facebook and posting on Twitter.”
To purchase tickets, send cash, checks or money orders to: Cheyenne River Youth Project, Attn: Christmas Star Quilt, P.O. Box 410, Eagle Butte, SD 57625. You also may pay online here. Simply click the “Donate Now” button on the home page, and put “A Christmas Star” in the notes section when paying with a credit card. Do not write the word “raffle” anywhere in the payment.
To sell tickets, please send an email to Julie Garreau, CRYP’s executive director, at julie.cryp@gmail.com. She will send as many tickets as you request; they come in books of six. Once you receive your tickets, along a quilt photo and information sheet, you will be responsible for selling those tickets. All tickets need to be turned in by December 24 so CRYP can conduct the drawing as planned on December 27.
CRYP’s staff is eager to see where the requests for tickets originate, as the 25-year-old, not-for-profit youth organization’s raffle fundraisers tend to reach far beyond U.S. borders. Previous years’ raffle winners have come from as far away as the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
“The best part of these raffles is that they’re international,” Garreau said. “Anyone can buy tickets, whether you live in South Dakota, elsewhere in the United States or in another country.”
She also noted that buying a raffle ticket can lead to much more.
“One of our raffle winners, Shaun McGirr, ended up traveling to the Cheyenne River reservation to serve as a volunteer during our Christmas Toy Drive,” she recalled. “You just never know where your raffle ticket might take you. You might win a star quilt, you might discover a passion for volunteering, you might decide to fulfill a “Dear Santa” letter in our toy drive — but no matter what happens, you know that your contribution makes a real difference in the lives of Cheyenne River’s children.”
PLEASE NOTE: The quilt featured with this article is “Winter on the Plains,” which was raffled off in March 2013. As soon as we have a picture of this year’s quilt, “A Christmas Star,” we’ll post it here!
To learn more about the Cheyenne River Youth Project and its programs, and for information about making donations and volunteering, call (605) 964-8200 or visit www.lakotayouth.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.