Give270 Bourbon Raffle Provides $5,000 to CASA of Lexington to Help Abused and Neglected Children

CASA of Lexington has $5,000 to help abused and neglected children thanks to a unique bourbon raffle from the nonprofit Give270.

Hundreds bought tickets in the charity raffle, held earlier this year, for 10 hard-to-get bourbon prizes. The grand prize was a rare bottle of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 150: Baccarat Edition and a halter worn by the winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby, Mystic Dan. Woodford Reserve only ever made 150 bottles of the exclusive bourbon.

"We have now been able to raise funds for two Kentucky CASA programs through our signature bourbon raffle events," said Kenny Rambo, co-founder of Give 270. "It’s incredible to see bourbon lovers from across Kentucky and the nation helping to give our most vulnerable children brighter futures."

The $5,000 in raffle proceeds presented to CASA of Lexington represents the approximate cost of providing five children with a CASA volunteer for an entire year.

“CASA volunteers give kids better childhoods by ensuring they are not forgotten or left without what they need to thrive,” said Melynda Jamison, Executive Director of CASA of Lexington. “Those children grow up to be happier, healthier adults, who are far more likely to give their own children happy, safe and loving homes. The funding from this raffle will ensure more children get those brighter futures.”

Each CASA volunteer is a regular person who has been trained and matched with an abused or neglected child in the family court system. The CASA volunteer visits their child monthly, gathers information about their life, and provides reports to the judge on the case. The extra attention from a CASA volunteer helps improve outcomes and prevent additional trauma.

It takes about 5-10 hours a month to serve as a CASA volunteer. Jamison said there is a great need right now for more volunteers.

“The gap between children in need of a CASA volunteer and the number of volunteers available is growing,” she said. “To change that trend, we need two things: more people willing to volunteer, and more funding like this raffle has provided.”

To learn more about CASA of Lexington or get information about becoming a CASA volunteer, visit www.casaoflexington.org. To learn more about Give270, visit www.give270.org.