Geneva American Legion takes in $16K, mayors poke fun at each other in Keep Vets Cool raffle drawing

The patio at Whiskey Bend in St. Charles was packed Thursday night, the band was thumping and servers were navigating trays of full beer glasses, gliding around customers without spilling a drop.

A perfect time to be outside, with cooler temperatures and a light breeze.

But there was anticipation in the air.

[ See more photos from the Geneva American Legion raffle drawing ]

It was the for the Keep Vets Cool Raffle – a fundraiser to aid the Fox River Geneva American Legion Post 75 pay about $40,000 for a new HVAC system to replace the current one that’s 25 years old.

The post sold 334 tickets at $100 each. The split would be $16,700 for the Post, $8,350 for the first-prize ticket, $5,511 for second prize and $2,839 for third.

As Post Commander Michael Ferrari announced the prizes – and that St. Charles Mayor Clint Hull would be the first to turn the ticket tumbler – a voice came from the back of the crowd.

“Is it too late?”

The crowd responded, “Yes!”

But Ferrari took the man’s ticket and dropped it in the raffle drum.

After all, $100 is $100.

That bumped up the split: $33,500 for 335 tickets means $16,750 for the Post, $8,375 for first prize, $5,512.50 for second prize and $2,847.50 for the third prize.

Hull pulled a ticket, called out a name and a cheer and applause went up – but the person wasn’t there.

Then it was Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns’s turn at the tumbler.

“The winner receives a weekend for two at Pheasant Run,” Burns quipped, referring to the now demolished resort in St. Charles.

The crowd laughed.

Now it was a show.

Hull responded that the winner would also get a weekend at the Herrington, “and the mayor will pay for it.”

“No, no – Mill Race Inn! Mill Race Inn!” Hull said, referring to a demolished business in Geneva.

The crowd roared.

“Now we have dueling mayors going on here,” Ferrari said.

“I never liked you,” Burns deadpanned to Hull.

Then a winning second-prize ticket was pulled, purchased by the owners of The Alchemist, a Geneva cocktail bar.

“Which is equivalent to a liquor license in St. Charles,” Burns said. “They’re free in Geneva.”

Hull picked the first-place winner – Jeff Nauman of St. Charles.

But there was a catch: Nauman bought three tickets, one for himself and one each for his friends, Navy veteran Lee Jacobson of Elburn and Marine Corps veteran Ben Fodor of Indianapolis.

Is it an even split?

“No, it’s whatever he wants to give me for being such a lucky dope,” Jacobson said.

Nauman said he would split his part of the winnings 50-50 with the St. Charles VFW Memorial Post 5036.

“It was a great turnout and the support from the communities was outstanding,” Ferrari said. “This is actually going to enable us to reach our goal and replace our HVAC and we’re really really appreciative.”

Ferrari thanked the raffle’s organizers, Michael Carney and Larry Behrens.

“Without them driving this, it probably never would have happened,” Ferrari said.