ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – A member from the congregation at St. Mary’s Oratory on Elm Street in Rockford was just trying to help raise restoration funds for their church, when his efforts were mistaken as a con. Community members set the story straight on Monday about a door-to-door raffle sale incident in Rockford.
Holly Hilby is the raffle manager at St. Mary’s Oratory in Rockford, Ill. She reached out to the WIFR Newsroom about a story written on Monday, January 17, 2022. The story has since been updated and can be viewed here.
“We believe that a simple misunderstanding may have led to the following story,” said Hilby in an email to WIFR on Monday. “One of our parishioners reported that he was in the Shaw Woods neighborhood, where he lives, with his two small children, selling tickets for our raffle several days before he was sent the story. The parishioner was alarmed by the story and apologized for any alarm caused to his neighbors.”
Hilby confirmed that the church is selling $10 raffle tickets to raise money for a new boiler. “This raffle is conducted with a Winnebago County Raffle License #30580 and the approval of the Diocese of Rockford and adheres to all IRS guidelines,” said Hilby.
Official raffle rules are available at our website https://institute-christ-king.org/rockford-home. Hilby says that even though St. Mary’s Oratory is a 501(c)(3), receipts are not available for the donation because IRS tax code does not consider raffle tickets tax…
