Am I just old-fashioned/a "square/etc or is this normal these days?

[historically accurate]

I was cruising Facebook yesterday, and I had a friend's post come by with a picture of a wagon full of liquor bottles. Caption says "DD's Sports Team is having a fundraiser. Tickets are $10." I am a little (ok, a lot) weirded out by the thought of a 12 year olds' sports teams selling raffle tickets for alcohol. You could win the wagon full of approximately 20 bottles of liquor, a cooler full of 4 cases of beer, or a wine basket with like 15 bottles of wine.

I wouldn't allow my kids to sell liquor, or to be more precise, tickets for a chance to win alcohol. I don't have any real feelings for or against alcohol. We don't drink mainly for budgetary purposes, although once in a great long while, I feel like having some fruity drink if we're splurging on a fancy dinner or something. I don't think it's cool to have kids, who can't use the product now or for another almost decade, selling it, especially when it's something that can be problematic for a lot of people.

[edited a bit for more privacy]

Is it just me that finds this odd?

Edited May 1, 2021 by historically accurate

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have seen many wine baskets at raffles over the years. No one needs to bid on things that they aren’t interested in. 

[historically accurate]

5 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I have seen many wine baskets at raffles over the years. No one needs to bid on things that they aren’t interested in. 

Well, these are the only prizes. So, I guess if I were feeling generous I could just donate to the team and just not buy a ticket. I don't think I've ever seen a kids' fundraiser have alcohol yet, although I've seen wine baskets/alcohol store gift certificates at the library fundraiser before. 

[MercyA]

I am not in the least bit anti-alcohol, and it still seems odd to me. I bet it's going to raise them a ton of money, though, especially if the alcohol was donated.

[catz]

It does seem like a weird choice in that format where the kids are selling the tickets for a chance at ONE thing.  Like my kids have been involved in activities where there might be liquor based items on a silent auction or a wine pull.  But those are at adult focused events where the kids wouldn't be directly involved.  

I also think about this as someone who has been in charge of a silent auction and large scale fundraisers as a volunteer.   If you are the primary volunteer  in charge of fundraising and a single business hands you a big ticket item for free or even for super cheap, I can totally see why suddenly a raffle on that single item is the fund raiser.  Maybe someone had a connection with the local liquor store. If they had a connection with the local hardware store, maybe it would have been a tool set or some lawn games.  If it would have been a salon, maybe it would have been a spa package.  When you do these things, those businesses that are generous rise to the forefront of the event whether or not you are really excited about the items donated.

[Carrie12345]

It seems a little odd to me (a happy drinker.) Fundraising isn’t getting any easier out there, so I can see the motivation to have a fast, easy, and profitable one.  I’d say that I’d probably buy tickets, but I’d also probably refrain from participating in sales because I don’t like the look of my kids promoting booze. And yet I probably wouldn’t bat an eye for a multi-prize raffle that included alcohol in one of the prizes. So...  what can I say?

It isn’t *way* out there to me, after experience with gun raffles. (Not through a kids’ organization, though.)

[Bootsie]

I find it odd.

I would not necessarily find it odd for their to be an adult event at which their is a silent auction, even if it were for a children's fundraiser, that had a basket of alcohol as an auction item.  I think it is much different having a wagon (looking like a child's toy I am assuming) with alcohol and a caption about a fundraiser for a child's team underneath it.  I would think in many places it would run afoul of alcohol regulations.

Personally, I consume alcohol.  I grew up surrounded by a culture that was cavalier about alcohol; it was sold in grocery stores, gas stations, drug stores, etc.  Company picnics would serve beer, etc.  Community dances were multi-generational and the adults drank alcohol openly in front of the children.  However, it was somewhat matter-of-fact and not glamourized.  And, in that environment I would have been surprised to see it being advertised in relationship to a children's sports team.  But then again, I am old-fashioned (or square)...

[stephanier.1765]

Yeah, that's weird. My guess is that one of the parents work at or own a factory or store that sells/produces alcohol so the team is receiving it as a donation. The parent gets a right off and the kids get something to raffle. My kids had similar things like that happen over the years but never with alcohol.

 

[hippymamato3]

Wine baskets like that are pretty common at fundraisers IMO. I'm not a drinker (no particular reason) but I think they typically make a decent amount of money and parents tend to like them. 

[Scarlett]

26 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I am not in the least bit anti-alcohol, and it still seems odd to me. I bet it's going to raise them a ton of money, though, especially if the alcohol was donated.

Same here. It is weird.  Not the end of the world but not really wide IMO. 

[Swimmer1112]

The PTA at my dn’s school has alcohol basket or wine tasting baskets at their spring fundraiser every year. My dd’s swim team will also include wine tasting, boating on the bay and a bottle of wine or champagne, and also baskets with alcohol as well. It’s fairly common to see alcohol as part of a raffle in my area. 

[rebcoola]

Wine tour gift certificates wine based baskets, and wine pulls are totally normal here it is wine country.  But that sounds different.

[Catwoman]

What I find odd is that they are asking children to sell tickets to win liquor. They can have any kind of raffle they’d like, but asking kids to sell the tickets when the only prize is liquor just doesn’t seem right to me.

[ktgrok]

I have beer, hard seltzer etc in my fridge right now, and a liquor cabinet that is overful so I'm afraid to open it. And I still think that's weird. I mean, I'm not clutching my pearls or anything, but it's strange. Partly because it isn't like a "classy" wine basket, but an assortment of stuff with just a common theme of "booze". 

That said, one year I had to sell bags of onions door to door as a fundraiser, so anything is better than that, lol. 

[Catwoman]

Just now, ktgrok said:

I have beer, hard seltzer etc in my fridge right now, and a liquor cabinet that is overful so I'm afraid to open it. And I still think that's weird. I mean, I'm not clutching my pearls or anything, but it's strange. Partly because it isn't like a "classy" wine basket, but an assortment of stuff with just a common theme of "booze". 

That said, one year I had to sell bags of onions door to door as a fundraiser, so anything is better than that, lol. 

It’s lucky you were probably a cute kid, because bags of onions could have been a tough sell otherwise! 😉 

 

[fraidycat]

Alcohol raffles are an easy fundraiser. In my experience, it is the parents who do the selling on any fundraiser, so selling booze is not really weird. My sons team did one last year, as an optional fundraiser in addition to the mandatory one - tickets were sold out so fast, we could have probably tripled our proceeds if we had applied for a larger lottery license.

Edited May 1, 2021 by fraidycat
finish thought

[happi duck]

1 minute ago, fraidycat said:

Alcohol raffles are an easy fundraiser. In my experience, it is the parents who do the selling on any fundraiser. My sons team did one last year, as an optional fundraiser in addition to the mandatory one - tickets were sold out so fast, we could have probably tripled our proceeds if we had applied for a larger lottery license.

This is what I was thinking.  The parents do the selling anyway and figured out a good consumable item for their particular group!

[fraidycat]

1 minute ago, happi duck said:

This is what I was thinking.  The parents do the selling anyway and figured out a good consumable item for their particular group!

I'm not a big drinker at all, so I didn't even buy a ticket, but I know drinkers so I didn't have to. 😎

[ktgrok]

19 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

It’s lucky you were probably a cute kid, because bags of onions could have been a tough sell otherwise! 😉 

 

I was an awkward teenager....it was a very tough sell, lol. 

[JustEm]

I don't think it is weird at all. It seems like a really good fundraiser idea. 

[Katy]

It’s weird. 

[Indigo Blue]

Conservative or not, I don’t feel comfortable with that . I have vodka in my freezer, and love to dump kahlua  in coffee or on top of whatever it’s good on.  And I love a cold Ginger’s Revenge. This just doesn’t seem right to me. I don’t think I’d want my kids to participate in that. Surely they could come up with something  ...I don’t know ...better? Appropriate? Normal? They don’t need to default to that, surely. 

[Xahm]

Like others have noted, the problem is if kids are expected to be involved in the selling. When kids sell popcorn or cookies or gift wrap or whatever, they are instructed to promote their product, to tell how tasty or beautiful or useful it is. If kids are being encouraged to sing the praises of alcohol in any way, that's inappropriate.

[katilac]

I don't think it's weird and I would have let my kids sell tickets for it. I don't make any distinction between it being a prize versus the prize. 

50 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

It’s lucky you were probably a cute kid, because bags of onions could have been a tough sell otherwise! 😉 

idk, that's something I use all the time. If some kid came to the door with onions or apples or such, I'd probably buy pretty quickly. 

[chiguirre]

They probably chose this prize structure because many of the typical raffle prizes won't fly in Covid times. Many people won't do a weekend getaway or tickets to a sporting event or dinner for two right now. 

I don't object to alcohol as a raffle prize even if it benefits a children's organization. Our local Catholic school's main fundraiser pre-Covid was a wine tasting event. It always sold out.

[historically accurate]

I am assuming the alcohol is donated. So, it'll probably make them loads of cash, which is good. Even if I find it odd. Very glad to know I am not the only one who finds it odd since I am often finding things that I find strange others find totally normal. 

[Sherry in OH]

Is the team doing the selling or the team's parents' organization?    

The booster club asking member parents to sell raffle tickets for alcohol is within the realm of normal.  Wine and beer baskets are popular items at basket raffles, so why not a wagonload of assorted alcohols?  But, when the prizes are alcohol or other 'adult-only' items, the ticket sellers should also be adults.  

If the team members are doing the selling, I agree with Happy Smiley Lady.  If an underage cashier can't be the intermediary in my purchase of alcohol at the grocery store, minors selling raffle tickets to win alcohol, especially if that is the only prize option, seems wrong.

 

[chiguirre]

Just now, happysmileylady said:

It's not that it's a children's organization that bothers me.  It's that 12 yr olds are expected to sell the tickets. 

Have you had your kids sell raffle tickets? I thought they're usually things you pawn off on relatives or coworkers, or just buy the whole pack yourself. I've never had kids come to my door with raffle tickets.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

1 hour ago, historically accurate said:

I was cruising Facebook yesterday, and I had a friend's post come by with a picture of a wagon full of liquor bottles. Caption says "DD's Sports Team is having a fundraiser. Tickets are $10." I am a little (ok, a lot) weirded out by the thought of a 12 year olds' sports teams selling raffle tickets for alcohol. You could win the wagon full of approximately 20 bottles of liquor, a cooler full of 4 cases of beer, or a wine basket with like 15 bottles of wine...

,,,Is it just me that finds this odd?

I found it odd when I was a primary school child and my school did this in the mid-1990s. (Of course, the alcohol was aimed at parents; the children got their own, much cheaper, fundraising raffle, that had a cheap age-appropriate prize for everyone). Children weren't involved in selling tickets for anything until the charity fundraisers of my mid-teens (and then, not alcohol or raffles involving any chance of not getting a prize).

Edited May 1, 2021 by ieta_cassiopeia

[fraidycat]

6 minutes ago, chiguirre said:

Have you had your kids sell raffle tickets? I thought they're usually things you pawn off on relatives or coworkers, or just buy the whole pack yourself. I've never had kids come to my door with raffle tickets.

This. In pre-covid times, when we were able to see other humans, a mom would whip a book of tickets out of her purse or diaper bag and offer tickets to all the adults present OR even more common, post it on their FB to hit up all the friends and relatives in one swoop. I have very rarely actually had a kid approach me for a sale of any kind.

[Melissa Louise]

I have a LOT of feelings about alcohol. I'm happy it's no longer in my house. 

I've never seen a raffle for a kids thing raffle off alcohol. Adult things, sure. But kids things? Tbh I don't think I've ever seen a raffle for kids for a very long time. It's the sort of thing my Mum's senior choir does. Kids are mostly selling chocolates or spring bulbs or similar. 

How would I feel about it? Idk. I wouldn't be buying any raffle tickets. But otherwise I guess I would feel nothing much. A bit surprised.

(But not judging, I am extremely Not Fun when it comes to alcohol aka 'square', and no, my own kids wouldn't have  been selling the tickets). 

[katilac]

 

2 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I do see a difference between "my kid's soccer team is selling these raffle tickets" and "Hey, I am a member of the South Johnsonville Youth Sports Booster club and we are selling these raffle tickets." 

The OP did say it was a post by a parent. 

[Melissa Louise]

A wagon full of liquor bottles is a long way from a wine tasting evening.

Honestly, I'd find that image quite triggering (my problem, not the poster's)

Idk. More and more people don't drink, either for health reasons, because it's slowly becoming less normalised, or for religious reasons. 

Why do fundraisers that exclude some families? 

I suppose you could say the same thing about lots of other commonly raffled items though. 

[JustEm]

5 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

A wagon full of liquor bottles is a long way from a wine tasting evening.

Honestly, I'd find that image quite triggering (my problem, not the poster's)

Idk. More and more people don't drink, either for health reasons, because it's slowly becoming less normalised, or for religious reasons. 

Why do fundraisers that exclude some families? 

I suppose you could say the same thing about lots of other commonly raffled items though. 

Because the point of a fundraiser is to make the most money and a booze wagon is sure to bring in a lot of money, even if not everyone participates. 

[Guest]

I have never seen a raffle of alcohol for a child’s team. I would find that pretty out there. I am not a teetotaler, although I grew up with teetotaler parents, uncles, aunts and grandparents; alcohol was never featured at any dinner/holiday/celebration in my family. 

[katilac]

8 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

 Why do fundraisers that exclude some families? 

I suppose you could say the same thing about lots of other commonly raffled items though. 

`Right. Plenty of people are diabetic or can't eat the sugary treats often sold, many families don't have anyone who will buy expensive items, and so on. 

Just now, Seasider too said:

 I also agree with Melissa Louise that a fine wine tasting is a far cry from a booze barge. 

Why? Fancy wine is as much a mood-altering drug as hard liquor. 

[Dmmetler]

Well, until COVID, the biggest fundraiser for cheer team was "Slinging beer for cheer"-literally, selling alcohol at festivals and sporting events. The booths were ALL manned by Youth club sports parents. I did other fundraisers, but didn't want to sell alcohol, and I wasn't the only parent who opted out because of personal beliefs. I will also say that all fundraisers were by the booster club, not the gym itself, so it was always the parents doing the fundraising, with the kids helping out, not the other way around. 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Dmmetler

[bookbard]

Absolutely weird. I am fairly sure it'd be illegal in Australia. We have pretty strict laws about how and where you can provide alcohol, and using children? No way. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

The kids aren’t pouring drinks. They are selling pieces of cardboard. 

[katilac]

Just now, happysmileylady said:

The post said 'my kids sports team is having a fundraiser'  Which is different from 'I am with the league booster club and we are selling'

 

The first is a team of 12yr olds selling, the second is a parent organization raising funds.  Some might see that as splitting hairs, but I don't.

Oh, got it. That difference wouldn't bother me either way, but I also think many parents in the booster club would simply say that their kid's sports team is having a fundraiser, without bothering to make the distinction. 

[Melissa Louise]

4 minutes ago, katilac said:

`Right. Plenty of people are diabetic or can't eat the sugary treats often sold, many families don't have anyone who will buy expensive items, and so on. 

Why? Fancy wine is as much a mood-altering drug as hard liquor. 

It can be, sure. 

But in the context of a social event, for adults, where the focus is on tasting, talking, probably nibbling on food as well, it's less problematic (to me) than 'hey, you wanna win a wagon of booze?'

 

[Melissa Louise]

I'm just so grateful I'm out of the fundraiser years. 

[JustEm]

12 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

It can be, sure. 

But in the context of a social event, for adults, where the focus is on tasting, talking, probably nibbling on food as well, it's less problematic (to me) than 'hey, you wanna win a wagon of booze?'

 

I just don't see the difference between kids selling raffle tickets to a booze wagon and a wine tasting. They are just ways of consuming alcohol packaged differently. 

[Lecka]

I would assume they got donations from a liquor store — that maybe a team parent worked at a liquor store.

I would not participate in this but I won’t judge someone for donating what they have to donate.

I would not get it if someone paid for the alcohol for the raffle — would not make sense to me.

But if other parents want to make a basket and choose their theme as alcohol I think that is okay, too.  
 

I have been in things where a volunteer is asked to make up a basket (and get donations wherever they can or just buy things) and I have been in things where there is an assigned theme and people are asked to supply one item.  

[Melissa Louise]

2 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

I just don't see the difference between kids selling raffle tickets to a booze wagon and a wine tasting. They are just ways of consuming alcohol packaged differently. 

One is a pretty socially responsible way of consuming alcohol, that's all. You're selling a social experience as much as you are the booze. 

But it's fine; we don't have to agree. 

[Happy2BaMom]

Put me in the, “it’s weird, not really appropriate” category. And I’m a lifelong Leftie. 
 

Does that mean I need to go put on a petticoat now?
 

ps I wonder how long it will be before MJ baskets are a thing....

Edited May 1, 2021 by Happy2BaMom

[historically accurate]

1 minute ago, Happy2BaMom said:

Put me in the, “it’s weird, not really appropriate” category. And I’m a lifelong Leftie. 
 

I’ll go put on my petticoat now. 
 

ps I wonder how long it will be before MJ baskets are a thing....

Ack! My mind hadn't gotten that far! I'll be needing a petticoat as well. 

[katilac]

4 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

But say you are at an all adult fundraising auction, I can see an item like a nice wine basket or ticket to a wine tasting as more...sophisticated?...than a wagon of hard liquor.  

Right, that is what I think it comes down to in most cases, people thinking that the wine prizes are more sophisticated and thus more acceptable. 

[katilac]

3 minutes ago, Happy2BaMom said:

 And I’m a lifelong Leftie. 

What does this mean? Politically to the left? 

[JustEm]

31 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

One is a pretty socially responsible way of consuming alcohol, that's all. You're selling a social experience as much as you are the booze. 

But it's fine; we don't have to agree. 

What is socially irresponsible about consuming alcohol from a booze wagon. No one is going to see that booze wagon and think 'man the winner of that is really gonna get sh** faced.' and if they do then that is only a judgment on how they view people owning a lot of booze.  

I would look at a wagon like that and think, 'fantastic I'll have alcohol for the whole summer' knowing my family comes over every Sunday and we like having a few drinks then.