Firefighter Greg Houston presents Spirit of North CEO Judy Neiser with raffle proceeds cheque next to grand prize Harley Saturday. Photo 250News

Prince George, B.C. – The Prince George Fire Fighters’ 2017 Harley Davidson Raffle was a tremendous success, raising $70,000 for Healthcare in the North.

Tickets for this year’s raffle sold out a week early and the Prince George Fire Department’s Greg Houston, who is also director with the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, says “people were still asking to buy tickets right up until Saturday’s draw” for the winning ticket for the top prize of a 2017 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle.

The $70,000 raised was targeted toward the purchase of a Hamilton ventilator for respiratory therapy.  However, Healthcare Foundation CEO Judy Neiser noted that the amount raised was just shy of what was needed to buy two of the ventillators, so the Foundation chipped in the roughly $2,000 required to purchase that second unit.

Once Houston presented CEO Neiser with the fundraising cheque, all that was left to do was draw the winning tickets for the three prizes available in the raffle.

Third prize of a $250 gift certificate to Harley Davidson Prince George went to the holder of ticket #2855, Frances Alex of New Hazelton.  `Winner of second prize, a $500 gift certificate to Harley Davidson Prince George, was Tom McKeachie of Kamloops who held ticket #1840.

And the grand prize winner of a 2017 Harley Davidson Road King is the holder of ticket #1503, Arnold LaRose of Smithers.

This was the 20th successful Harley Raffle involving Prince George Fire Fighters and Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, an event which has raised more than $850,000 over the past two decades.