CRESTVIEW — This year's Triple B raffle started with a barbecue grill.
It was a seemingly simple, commonsense raffle prize for a barbecue festival.
And then it grew.
And it grew.
And it grew some more.
After Triple B Cookoff Chairman Derek Lott, of CCB Bank, secured the donation of a $350 stainless steel Better Homes and Gardens gas grill from Wal-Mart, it seemed the task was done.
“That’s how it started,” Lott said. “Then every month, I thought, just to make it a little more exciting, we went to different sponsors to see if they wanted to get their name out there.”
As Wal-Mart had already contributed a grill cover and grill utensils, Summerlin Truck Outfitters added a $250 Engel Deep Blue cooler to the package.
Soon, other area businesses jumped on the chance.
Hub City Ford provided a selection of gourmet meats from Carroll’s Sausage and Meats Country Store.
Publix supermarket added a $50 gift card.
Lott’s bank chipped in a $100 VISA gift card.
Saturday, someone will reap the rewards. Raffle tickets cost $1 each and are available at the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce office, 1447 Commerce Drive, next to the Community Center.
They'll also be sold during the event at the chamber’s booth near the Florida Lottery stage.
Proceeds benefit the chamber’s nonprofit programs that support the community and its member businesses, including public events such as the Triple B and fall Wine Gala.
“You got a super-good grill. You got meat to throw on it,” Lott said. “You got a super-good cooler. You got gift cards to buy whatever else you need. All you need is friends and you’re good to go.
“And you’ll have 12,000 of them on Main Street if you win.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Triple B: The grill raffle that grew