Vehicle raffle winners announced

The Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation announced that Greg and Lois Micheletti won the 2017 Jeep Raffle. The couple hails from Corvallis and were attending the Crown Guitar Festival, held Aug. 27 through Sept. 3, for the second time.

The couple bought the ticket at the Saturday night finale concert.

“When my wife suggested that we purchase a raffle ticket for this year’s drawing I hesitated,” Greg said. “Prior to this we had never won a raffle or award in 35 years of marriage! She reminded me that the proceeds are used to fund needed scholarships for the participating student musicians. Being a musician and music lover, I agreed, so we purchased the $100 ticket with the intent of simply making a donation.

“Throughout the evening my wife said she had a ‘good feeling’ about the raffle. When our number was selected, I couldn’t believe it,” Greg said, adding that they opted to take the cash award instead of the car.

The raffle generated more than $24,000 in support of the COCGF scholarship fund that provided 13 scholarships this year valued at $65,000. Diane Kautzman, Development Director for COCGF, said that over the past seven seasons of the workshop they have awarded 144 scholarships, each valued at $5,000, to students, teachers and emerging guitar professionals, providing them exposure to high caliber faculty and artists to help build and grow their careers at the week-long workshop held annually in the last week of August in Bigfork.

Kautzman expressed her thanks to Don K Subaru/Jeep for their support and also to Randi Tunnell, Director of Music at Bigfork High School and a former scholarship student of the Crown Guitar Workshop.

“She was so instrumental in sharing our story and taking command of the Jeep raffle,” Kautzman said.

Kautzman said that her biggest takeaway from the raffle was that it provided an opportunity to share the Crown story all across the Flathead Valley.

“We went from Bigfork, to Polson, to C. Falls, Whitefish and Kalispell, visiting farmers markets and art fairs, letting people know about this amazing event that happens in little ol’ Bigfork every summer,” she said. “And it gave our former and current scholarship winners an opportunity to perform and share their talent.”

The raffle and auction items sold during the event this year only cover a portion of the scholarship fees and the COCGF is holding a fall fundraising campaign to raise an additional $45,000.

To learn more about the Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival visit http://crownguitarfest.org. To contribute to the fall fundraising campaign, contact Kautzman at 855-855-5900.