TIMES UNION REPORTS – A 100th Anniversary “Scout” Indian MC was delivered to Sean Berwanger, Syracuse, Monday after Berwanger bought the winning Indiana Sheriffs’ Association raffle ticket at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis.
When he was first called approximately Sept. 22 about winning the raffle, he thought it was a joke, thinking someone who knew he went to the state fair was calling him.
Berwanger said he and his wife were walking through the booths at the fair and the ISA was one of the booths. He asked his wife if he should enter.
“And she looked at me and she looked at me and said, ‘Yeah, just go ahead. We usually do anyway.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, we’ll make our donation.’ I mean we always donate, we never win.”
Berwanger said they usually do it everywhere they go.
“And I go into it (as) you’re donating to the cause,” Berwanger said. He said he doesn’t think he’s going to win the prize, but instead thinks he’s donating to the winner or whatever organization they’ve got going on.
This was the first time Berwanger and his wife went to the state fair. They usually go to fairs in this area, such as Elkhart and Porter counties.
He said he bought about 20 tickets at the state fair.
The drawing was sponsored through the Indiana Sheriffs Association. Proceeds of the raffle support the ISA.
“So throughout the year, the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association promotes youth organizations in the state of Indiana. Several of those organizations are youth camps the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs are involved in,” said Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes.
The proceeds also go to ISA’s scholarship funds, where they give away 40 $750 scholarships for seniors going into college for criminal justice; to put on two youth leadership camps during the summer; and to help families of fallen officers.
In a normal year, depending on the make of the motorcycle, the raffle can raise between $45,000 and $60,000, said Steve Luce, executive director of the ISA. This year, 20,000 to 25,000 tickets were sold.
