By: MARK ZIMMARO for the philly burb

MOUNT LAUREL - Imagine winning a brand-new Harley Davidson motorcycle on a $10 chance.

That dream will be a reality for some lucky person on Oct. 11, when the American Red Cross randomly picks the winning raffle ticket at its MotoRed Ride for the Red Cross.

The prize is a 2009 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail bike with tags, sales tax and trailer included. The package is valued at $22,000, according to Mike Giletto, chairman of the Burlington County Chapter of the American Red Cross, based in Lumberton.

The winner, however, will be responsible for income taxes.

"I picked it out myself," Giletto said with a laugh. "When we figured we would raffle off a motorcycle, we knew it had to be a Harley. It's the most popular bike and it's made in America. It's perfect."

The bike was purchased by Giletto from Barb's Harley Davidson in Collingswood. It's a six-speed with a 96-cubic-inch motor and custom chrome parts and accessories.

"Barb took a lot of money off the bike and gave us a great deal," Giletto said. "Now we're hoping to reach our goal of selling 3,000 tickets. That way we make about $8,000 for the Red Cross."

Giletto, who owns Cater 2U in Mount Laurel, said about 1,750 tickets have been sold and that tickets will be on sale until the drawing, which will be held at his catering business on Marne Highway about 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 11.

Tickets can be purchased through Cater 2U or the American Red Cross. Giletto said the initial response has been fantastic.

"It's been overwhelming," he said. "A few businesses have been buying hundreds of tickets to sell to their clients and employees."

Advertisement

The Red Cross has been showing the bike at various events, including the Burlington County Farm Fair last month. The raffle is one of four main fundraisers during the year for the Red Cross.

"It's been tough this year with the economy," Giletto said. "A lot of people are waiting until the last minute to donate. We're trying to raise money for our service center at Fort Dix, which takes care of our soldiers overseas. It cost us about $66,000 and we need to replace that money."

Other events include the annual gala, a golf outing at Medford Village Country Club on Sept. 21, and a 50/50 drawing in which participants can win $10,000 on a $100 ticket. The Red Cross also is working on putting together a mission called Join the 5,000, for which volunteers are needed to undergo training to be ready to assist in setting up shelters in case a natural disaster strikes the region.

Another project in the works is called Pass the Buck, in which the organization is asking for a donation of $1 from every Burlington County resident.

"It doesn't seem like much but it would make all the difference," Giletto said. "You can't even buy a cup of coffee for a dollar anymore. But just a buck from everyone in the county - all 475,000 people would take care of everyone."

Read the full article here: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/678/2009/august/13/american-red-cross-calling-all-easy-riders.html