Currie Motors Ford of Valpo & Valparaiso Lions Club fuel support for low vision care in Northwest Indiana through first annual Raffle Grand Prize Drawing 

Local residents Harrison Handricks, Justus Marshall, and Patrick Cowan are in for the ride of a lifetime after being selected as the respective first, second, and third prize winners during Currie Motors Ford of Valpo’s first annual Raffle Grand Prize Drawing on Thursday, October 16. With the generous backing of both the dealership and Valparaiso Lions Vision Care Incorporated, each victor will be claiming an incredible prize tailored to their impressive finish in Thursday’s drawing. 

Cowan, securing the third-place spot, is taking home a cool $500 cash prize; Marshall, clinching second place, has won a fantastic $1,000 cash prize; and Handricks, the triumphant grand prize winner, faced an exhilarating choice of a brand new 2025 Ford Bronco or a substantial $40,000 in cash! He ultimately picked the new set of wheels as his prize to take home.

Additionally, the raffle’s impact is going beyond just snazzy cash prizes and new vehicle giveaways – it’s also driving home a strong sense of community. Around 650 tickets were sold overall, and proceeds went toward Valparaiso Lions Vision Care, an 501(c)(3) charity that is a part of the Valparaiso Lion’s Club. Valparaiso Lions Vision Care will be using the funds for resources and technology to help those with low vision throughout Northwest Indiana live fulfilling lives. 

“We made a lot of money for our charity that helps people all throughout Northwest Indiana who are visually impaired get devices to help them live better everyday lives,” noted Valparaiso Lions Club Secretary Richard Ireland.

The partnership has been nothing short of a fantastic ride for the Valparaiso Lions Club and Currie Motors Ford of Valpo. Ireland noted that this was one of his favorite times in the 45 years he’s been with the club. Greg Miller, President of the Valparaiso Lions Club and Valparaiso Lions Vision Care Incorporated, agrees. The dealership pitched in to help spread the mission of the Valparaiso Lions Club throughout the course of the raffle when it began earlier this year. As it all comes to a close, the two organizations are more than excited for the road ahead.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” explained Miller. “Currie Motors Ford of Valpo has been great and fantastic to work with. They’ve helped us by having booths at different events around town, and they invited us to come and sell tickets at a car show at the Porter County Expo Center. It’s been very helpful for us and very profitable for us to work with them.”

The partnership has only allowed the nonprofit to further expand its mission of helping the visually impaired throughout Northwest Indiana. Exposure has gone up significantly for the club as it reaches new audiences and age groups, and the organization is eager to welcome new members to its meeting later this month as it gears up for its next service project in the community.

“We’ve gotten a lot of interest now, and we have many who are possibly joining the club,” Miller beamed. “The next project we have is with the Juvenile Services Center with Judge Rebecca Buitendorp. She’s going to be out to talk to us at our next meeting – which is on the fourth Tuesday of the month on the 28th – and we are looking forward to that. For this next project, we have probably 18-20 people attending who could be members, and that’s very exciting.”

Those interested in supporting the Valparaiso Lions Club are encouraged to attend its next meeting on October 28 at Inman’s Bowling and Recreation Center. A social hour will start at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the Valparaiso Lions Club’s website here.

“This partnership means everything. We’re a growing chapter, and this allowed us to have another avenue to raise funds while supporting our low vision community,” declared Joe Arroyo, Vice President for the Valparaiso Lions Club. “It also allowed Currie Motors Ford of Valpo to get exposure for what they do in the community. It’s been a huge help, and we can’t thank them enough. Please support them if you can. They’re really impactful for the community, so I want to thank them for all their help with this and really emphasize what they do in our community.” 

Learn more about all the ways Currie Motors Ford of Valpo is working to create a brighter tomorrow for Valparaiso and surrounding communities by visiting fordofvalpo.com.