The HK House of Peers conducted a charity raffle featuring three (3) prototypes generously donated by Harmony Ball Company. HOP is grateful to the Loopy Ladies at the Clothes Rail for helping spread the word to collectors across the pond! HOP has enlisted the assistance of Hannah Witkowska to serve as the UK point person. Hannah volunteered to collect UK cheques and transfer the purchase information to the HOP Charity Coordinator in the US, so that raffle purchases from UK collectors were pooled with those in the US.

There was three (3) prizes in the raffle. The first name drawn got first choice at these prototypes, the second name got second choice, and the third name took the last available piece. The drawing occured at the first appearance of Peter Calvesbert for "The #1 Merryfields Tour" in Warwick, New York, on August 4, 2007.

Big Gulp This is a solid-body prototype of a Treasure Jest which will be released in June 2007. Carved by Master Carver Peter Calvesbert, he may have taken snakes' unusual digestion to the extreme! This snake has swallowed the elephant. The worldwide edition size of 200 makes this a hard-to-find piece! The released version is a box, not solid-bodied.

Holy Smoke This is the only prototype of the 2006 Annual Santa piece with the special cigar version! This is one way to get this variation!

This Mortal Coil This piece is an unreleased Artist Master. It is based on Peter's nautilus Treasure Jest, but is solid-bodied and cast using a bronze resin rather than a marble resin.

 
HOP has asked each independent collectors' club to submit the names of their charity(s) that will reap the monetary benefits of these raffles.

Collectors in the UK can support Marie Curie Cancer Care or London Wild Care Trust. Both accept CAF cheques or a Gift Aid declaration can be printed from their respective websites.
 

Marie Curie Cancer Care provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give terminally ill people the choice of dying at home supported by their families. [www.mariecurie.org.uk]

London Wild Care Trust offers hospital care to sick, injured, or orphaned wild animals, an Ecology Centre for exploratory educational purposes, and Wildlife Field Centre where those animals unable to be re-released into the wild can be cared for and their necessity to the British environment explained. [www.londonwildcare.org]

 
Your cheque for tickets must arrive no later than July 1, 2007.

Raffle tickets for UK collectors were priced as follows:

•   1 ticket   for £2.50, or
•   6 tickets for £12, or
• 14 tickets for £25, or
• 22 tickets for £37, or
• 30 tickets for £50

When sending your cheque (or cheques to support both charities) to Hannah, please indicate the charity of your choice by making the cheque(s) payable to the charity. Please include your first, second, and third piece choice, should you be a lucky winner. Raffle ticket numbers will be forwarded to you, if you include your email address or a stamped addressed envelope.

To join in on the fun and purchase your raffle tickets, make your cheque(s) payable to the charity (in pounds sterling (£)), and post to:

HOP RAFFLE
HANNAH WITKOWSKA
17 CROSSWAYS
SUTTON SURREY SM2 5LD
UNITED KINGDOM

HOP thanks our UK collectors in advance and sends best wishes to all who participate!