Published June 4, 2020

A CHECK for $3,038.08 was presented by North Reading Community Raffle organizer Geoffrey Graves (second from left) to Penny Esposito (second from right), a volunteer at the North Reading Food Pantry. Pastor Rachel Fisher of the Aldersgate Church, left, and CCS President Ellen Wiklanski, right, look on. (Courtesy Photo)

NORTH READING — After nearly three weeks and more than 1,300 tickets sold, the North Reading Community Raffle conducted its first drawing at 9:30 a.m. on June 1.

The North Reading Community Raffle is a new 50/50 raffle which donates 50 percent of the net winnings to the North Reading Food Pantry, a nonprofit all-volunteer organization of Christian Community Service (CCS). The other 50 percent buys gift certificates to locally owned North Reading businesses of the winner’s choosing.

The winning ticket was selected by a random number generator. It was conducted by raffle administrator Geoffrey Graves and was observed remotely by Pastor Rachel Fisher and George Dow of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church, which sponsored and oversaw the raffle.

Paula Forsythe, a retiree and former resident who still has children living in the Greater Boston area, was the selected winner. She was contacted by email about her winning immediately following the drawing. Currently, she and her husband are still trying to decide which businesses they would like to support with their winnings.

A check in the amount of $3,038.08 representing half the proceeds was presented to representatives of the North Reading Food Pantry on June 1 at 11 a.m. Food Pantry representatives report that the money will be used to fund the pantry’s ongoing mission to feed the town’s hungry population as well as to help to move into and outfit its new facility currently under construction on the grounds of the Union Congregational Church, which will further expand their ability to serve the community.

Round two

The second round of the North Reading Community raffle began on Tuesday, June 2 and the next drawing will be held on Monday, June 15.

Tickets can be purchased for $5 each via PayPal and more information may be obtained about the specifics of the raffle at northreadingraffle.org.