St. John’s Drawdown Achieves Positive Impact on Oxford, Lafayette

Campbell Helveston is the chairman of the sixth annual St. John’s Drawdown.

Buy a ticket to win $10,000 in the annual St. John’s Drawdown, and even though you could walk away with the hefty boon, the real winners are the nonprofit organizations in Oxford and Lafayette County.

The sixth annual St. John’s Drawdown is this Friday, May 6, at the Oxford Conference Center. Senior vice president of First National Bank, Campbell Helveston is into his second year of leading the charity event.

The last year’s St. John’s Drawdown was his first, and it was a huge success.

Helveston said, “We raised $46,000 which sent into the Clayton Stevens Trust Fund that helped donate to several nonprofits in Oxford. This year, we have a challenge to raise $50,000 for a new record.”

The Clayton Stevens Trust Fund, managed by St. John’s, benefits several nonprofits and charities throughout Lafayette County such as Interfaith Compassion Ministries, Save-A-Life, Love Packs and Doors of Hope to name a few.

President of Oxford Lovepacks, Mary Leary said, “St.John’s Drawdown has been a tremendous benefit to Lovepacks. We have received a generous donation from the proceeds of this fun event since its inception. The money received has helped Lovepacks feed local children in need. Their funding has allowed our program to grow over the years.”

The fundraiser originally began six years ago to benefit the building fund when the St. John’s Evangelist Catholic Church was renovated. After seeing tremendous support from people outside of the church, St. John’s leadership decided that proceeds should benefit all of Lafayette County, according to Helveston.

The drawdown event is a reverse raffle with the tickets drawn at random throughout the night. Once the last five tickets remain, Helveston will ask the ticket holders to share in the profits or continue the drawdown until a decision to share is made between the final ticket holders or the remaining person walks away with it all.

Helveston said, “Last year, we went down to two tickets. One person decided to share, but the other person decided against it. Then we drew the ticket, and the person who decided to share was the winner!”

The price of one ticket is $125 and admits two people. There is also the option for insured tickets which runs $150 but ensures that if the ticket is pulled during the first 100 pulls, it will go back into the pot. Sponsor tables can be purchased for $1,000 and includes four insured tickets.

For the price of those tickets, the attendees will enjoy an open bar, silent auction, hors d’oeuvres with music from The SoulTones. There will be a new addition to the entertainment: Oxford Photobomb, a mobile photobooth for the attendees to remember the great night that is for the greater good of Oxford and Lafayette County.

For more information and updates, find St. John’s Drawdown on Facebook.

Callie Daniels Bryant is the senior managing editor at HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.

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