SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — Schulte Subaru is known for donating cars for many raffles supporting nonprofit organizations in the region, including a car for the Caring for Kids banquet every year.
This year, in honor of a staff member’s retirement, they decided to donate two cars, but the result of the drawing was not at all what they expected.
“The Children’s Home Society is very near and dear to our hearts, they do amazing work,” Mike Schulte said.
It’s why the owners of Schulte Subaru doubled their donation this year, offering up 800 raffle tickets for $100 apiece.
“After six weeks they were already sold out,” Mike Schulte said.
The drawing for the two lucky winners happened during the CHS Caring for the Kids banquet earlier this month, the live drawing starting out just as you’d expect.
“I started rolling the tickets in the bin to make sure they were all mixed up, when I picked I went around with my hand, looked the other way so it was all legit, I drew it out and it was Christine, I announced it, everyone clapped,” Sarah Schulte said.
They tried calling the winner with no answer, so then it was time to draw the name of the winner for the second Subaru.
“I pulled it out and I was like what, Deja vu. Exact same, printed the same, same name, everything the same, it’s the same person,” Sarah Schulte said. “One of those moments, where you’re like, did this really happen, no way how, how many tickets did she buy!?”
“That was the first thought, maybe she bought 100 tickets? But she didn’t, she bought two tickets,” Mike Schulte said.
“When I got here I thought I’ll buy two tickets to up my odds out of 800 to see if I could win a vehicle for my daughter,” Christine said. “My daughter is 15 and just got her license.”
Ever since buying her two raffle tickets in June in hopes of winning a Subaru for her new young driver, Christine has chanted the same phrase every time she drives by Schulte Subaru.
“I’m going to win a Subaru, I’m going to win a Subaru, I’m going to win a Subaru, just positive thinking,” Christine said.
That positive thinking was clearly power, leading to a lucky phone call she’ll never forget.
“I said, well I have bad news, you did not win one of the cars that was raffled, she goes aww really,” Mike Schulte said.
“He goes, you won two cars, I was like, I won two cars!? I told my husband and he was like, we won two cars!? He couldn’t believe it, my daughter is there she’s crying because she was so happy and jumping around,” Christine said. “Two tickets purchased, two cars won.”
The chances of her winning both vehicles were 1 in nearly 320,000. And to top it off, after getting that once-in-a-lifetime phone call, they took off for their family vacation the next morning, just continuing their celebration.
