Winning a free trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Rhonda Crunican was in the middle of organizing a golf tournament fundraiser when she decided to check her voicemail.

She didn’t quite believe it when the voice on the recording told her she was the grand prize winner of an all-expense paid trip for six nights at Best Friends Animal Society.

Best Friends Summer Raffle Drawing

She replayed the message several times, and then she played it again for a friend. She finally believed that, yes, she was the grand prize winner in the Best Friends Summer Raffle Drawing.

"I was just giddy," says Crunican, who is the vice president of sales and marketing for a paramedical company in Beaverton, Oregon. "I am so excited and so is everyone in my household."

Crunican bought 10 raffle tickets and one of them was drawn from the raffle bin July 23 at Best Friends Angel Village.

Best Friends’ 25th anniversary

This year’s raffle was made even more special as it was held during Best Friends Week, a seven-day event to celebrate Best Friends’ 25th anniversary.

Crunican and her husband, Bruce, are planning to make the trip to Best Friends sometime this fall. It’s a trip they’ve been longing to make. Five years ago, they visited the area to tour the national parks, but they had no idea Best Friends Animal Sanctuary was just a hop, skip and a jump away. They found out three months later when they became Best Friends members.

"We were in Kanab and we didn’t even know Best Friends was there," Crunican says.

Other fantastic prizes

The grand prize was just one of more than 500 prizes given out in the summer raffle drawing, prizes that included other weeklong and weekend getaways, gift certificates, paintings, DVD players, stereos, jewelry and much more.

With the exception of the grand prize, all the prizes were donated. Thanks to the generosity of the people and businesses who donated thousands and thousands of dollars worth of prizes, the raffle drawing raised some $2 million to help animals.

Supporting the animals

"This supports the daily operations that help the animals here at the sanctuary and our programs in communities," says Aileen Walden, Best Friends' senior manager of donor relations and stewardship. "It is one of the programs that keeps the doors open."

Other winners

Other top winners included Sharon Scussel of Enfield, Conn., who won a week at Arcadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine; Marty and Domonica Pinsky of Middleburg, Fla., who won a week at the Emerald Coast RV Resort in Panama City, Fla.; Gail Schnee of Orlando, Fla., who won an AM/FM stereo with DVD player; Mary Rae Matton of Rancine, Wis., who won an Animal House pet bed; Susan Cowen of Yorba Linda, Calif., who won a Nintendo PSP player; Carol Honeywell of Wheaton, Ill., who won a Tour de France men’s watch; Mary A. Kinser of Hot Springs, Ark., who won three nights at the X-Bar Lodge in Orderville, Utah. Kinser declined the prize so it went to Linda McLain of Smithburg, Md.

Photo by Gary Kalpakoff

Here is a list of the rest of this year’s raffle drawing winners:

Susan Adkins, Elizabeth Agren, Ted Alban, Mary Alford, Marianna Allgauer, Barbara Anderson, Priscilla Anderson, Vickie Annarino, Pam Anton, Lynda Arthur, Sheryl Ashenbreme, Jo Ashton, Lela Atkins, Rina Bailey, Laurie Baker, Connie Ball, Jenny Barbuto, Stacey Barr, Laurie Barrett, Janis Barrows, Suzanne Barry, Judy Bartok, Joann Baxter, Sheila Beck, Anne Becker, Lorraine Bennett, Liucy Berigan, Mary Berry, Helen Bevre, Brooke Beyerle, Nina Biuso, Patricia Bixler, Paula Black, Rachelle Blank, Patricia Bluel, Ken Bock, Jim Boehm, Lynda Bogdala, Catherine Bogert, Robby Bolton, Victoria Bonne, James Bonney, Todd Bortz, June Bowser, Beverly Bowyer, Sharon Boyer, Ruth Bradfield, Nina Bradford, Kimberley Breaux, Jean Breitenbach, Sandra Briggs, Gini Brittenham, Alana Brodwixk, Stacey Brooks, Renee Brow, Debra Brown, Mary Brunner, Gloria Bryce, Catherine Buck, Isa Budge, Walter Buerkle, Bunner, Carol Burkhardt, Gracie Burns, Tammi Burns, Shirley Burton, Patricia Butcheck, Chris Byrne, Imo Callander, Nancy Cameron, Jackie Campbell, Lenore Campbell, Sally A. Cannavo, Kathleen Caponigro, Valerie Caputo, E.G. Carbon, Beverly Carpenter, Terry & Kathleen Carpenter, Sharon Carr, Debra Carstens, Ann Carter, Deb Cary, Harriet Cavalli, Judy Chaney, Edie Chapman, Catherine Chase, Bette Chianese, Jeannie Chin, Jackie Chinn, Sandra Clamp, Kathleen Clapp, Joyce Clifton, Judy Combs, Ron Comeau, Jeannine Conner, Sherri L. Conrad, Melissa Contreras, Heather Cook, Michelle Cook, Leslie Cornelius, Loraine Cousins, Sandra Crase, Laurie Crepeau, Elizabeth Crevaux, Trudi Crouser, Kelly Crownover, Raquel Cruz, Bob Cupp, Tina Czeiner, Dina Dalton, Marjorie Dancheck, Muriel Danon, Carol Darlington, Brent Davis, Marilyn R. Day, Lisa Deephouse, Louise Degol, Larry DeJohn, Sol Del Mar, Lawrence & Charlotte Demack, Kathy Demnyan, Leslie Demyan, Sonya Denisuk, Janet Dicker, Becky Diedrich, Paula Diefert, Robert Diggs, Dawn Dimitriadis, Cara DiPlacidi, Michele DiSimo, Priscilla Donohue, Diane Donovan, Sara Downs, Lynsey Doyon, Barbara DuBois, Reed DuBow, Kleta Dudley, Donna Duncan, Gabrael Dunham, Michelle Dunphy, Penny Durgin, Tracey Dyer, Nancy Easton, Julie Ede, Joy Edmonds, Betty Egbert, Carol Eisele-Irvin, Jana Ekdahl, Susan Emrich, Nancy Endacott, Frances Engle, Lenore Enzel, Jan Erceg, Erika Ersland, Beverly Evans, Didi Ewing, Shannon Farrell, Dolores Farries, Melodie Farris, Val Feick, Estrella Ferrer, Barbara Finck, Carol Fine, Lisa Fishman, Marlene Flowers, Daniel Flynn, Valerie Fogle, Caroline Ford, Gerald Forquell, Helen Fortwengler, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Fraser, Megan French, Jane Freudenberg, Pat Freund, Jacqueline Friedrichs, Diane German, Peter Gibson, Karen Gintzig, Patrice Gionson, Barbara Gloger, Al Gonzalez, Beth Gorsline, Jim Grabel, Susan Gracey, Brenda Grant, Leona Green, Holly Greenspoon, Frank Greenwald, Patricia Griggs, Rachel Grimsley, Lynn Grout, Nancy Gruber, Beverly Gunther, Mark Gurrieri, Marcia Gutierrez, Mrs. Dale Gwin, Barbara Halen, Jeannie Hall, Jenn Hanlin, Jane Harbert, Kathy Harris, Betty L. Hartgrave, Linda Hartrick, Shirley Haskins, Summer Hazlett, Andrea Helmick, Forrest J. Henderson, Janine Henderson, Jean Henderson, Christine Hendler, Sherrie Hermann, Nancy Hiddlestone, Catherine Higdon, William P. Holland, Jessica Holland, Aschley Hopkins, Joan Hovermale, Shirley Hunter, Jenny Hurley, Maureen Imbrogno, Elaine Jay, Kristy Jennings, Rosy Jewell, Paula Johnson, Suzanne Johnson, Lucille Johnstone, Perry Jones, Gari Jordan, Matt Josniak, Patricia Kearney, Stephen Kelly, Dyan Kelly, Carol Kennedy, Suzi Kennedy, Janice Kern, Madeline Kiniklis, Marvilene Kirk, Renee KissMohammad, Jacqueline Kitchen, Delores & James Kloss, Judy Kohlhagen, Patricia Kohr, Susan Kopacz, Cynthia Korab, Hazel Korbel, Jim Kosik, Mackenzie Kotek, Ed Kothe, Michael & Bonnie Kovacs, Marjorie A. Krall, Jill Krapels, Charlotte Kraut, Eleanor Krieter, Carol Kuhns, Mary Kulpa-Grubich, Dana Landale, Karen Lander, Denise Landstedt, Richard Larsen, Jessie Lash, Sue Laverty, Raeann Leblanc, Joan Lee, Donna LeGerda, Janet Lepardo, Irma Lopez, Isabel Louie, Penny Love, Harold Lovrgren, Sally Lowrey, Sherra Lowry, Gloria Ludwig, Katherine Luksza, Barbara Magella, Karen Mahoney, Sylvia Malsatzki, Sarah Maras, Erica Marlow, Linda Maroamo, Ole Marquez, Martin-Alexander, Karen Matteson, Helen Mattson, Deborah Maxwell, Cindy McCarthy, Terri McConville, Sarah McCord, Betsy McCormick, Carol S. McCourt, Janis McGibbons, Geraldine McHugh, Karen D. McManus, Gloria McPhee, Mary McPherron, Sandra McQueen, Cheryl Meadows, Lisa Meaney, Kim Medin, Beulah Mellenbruch, Joslin Meraz, Mary Mercado, Kenya Meseke, Ronald Mihalich, Stephanie Miller, Lucille Misurella, Merlene Mitchell, Alison Mizner, Phyllis Moise, Joesph & Theresa Mondor, Rebecca Montes, Suzanne Mooney, Jennifer L. Moore, Renee Morcel, Linda Moser, Robert Muccigrosso, Maureen Mullally, Virginia Muller, Terry Murphy, Richard Nagel, Vicky Narde, Shari Neal, Nancy Nelsen, Paul J. Nelson, Nancy Nelson, Mary Nicholas, Celeste Nicolls, Jackie & Daniel Niles, Kenneth Nissley, Caroline Nudelman, Trina O'Brien, Regina Oates, Christine Ochoa, Laurie Okunami, Bobbie Oldfield, Beki Olsen, Laurie Olson, Lynn Ott, Carole Pagano, Kim Pallon, Bruce & Nancy Palmer, Pauline Palmer, Linda Parenteau, Steve Patterson, Elizabeth Patterson, Evelyn Pearn, Jane Pearson, Donna Peck, Nancy D. Peterson, Mr. & Mrs. George Pezza, Kathleen Pfaffinger, Mary Kay Phillips, Shirley Phillips, Elouise Plain, W. Platt, Robin Powell, Anne Pratt, Minnette Prentice, Suzanne Prince, Kathy Procopio, Mike Pugh, Kathleen Pulciani, Anne Quirk, Lennell Radloff, Priscilla Marie Ramirez, Sandra Rathe, Janet Redyke, Mary Reynolds, Joan Rezzolla, Patricia Richute, Edward Ricks, Sheila Ridner, Erin Caitlin Rinker, Jennifer Robillard, Randi Robinson, Tracey Rodrigues, Maria Rodriguez, Karen Roman, Raymonde Romanick, Sheila Rose, Robin Rosenzweig, Gerturde Rubenstein, Mr. & Mrs. Tony Russ, Polly Sack, Angela Sammartino, Gayle Sanders, Barbara Sanford, Regina Sarracco, Eve Scarcello, Joyce Schickling, Mary Schock, Ann Schott, Linda Schroder, Shirley Schroeder, Regina Scott, Carolyn Scott, Cynthia Seeley, Janis Senter, Stephanie Seymour, Ken Shadle, Deena Shealy, Fred Shepherd, Donna Rose Sherman, Cecily Shimabuku, Deanna Shook, Joanne Sieben, Jackie Skahale, Lori Smith, Lynda Smith, Diane Smith, Holly Smith, Hillary Smith, Bevin Smith, Steve Sniadach, Fran Snyder, Lee Snyder, Jerri Solomon, Olivia Solomon, Susan Sonson, Janice Sothman, Jeannine Spicer, Janet Spielberger, Helene Stanley, Ann Stevens, Gwen Stevens, John Stewart, Monique Stone, Mary Ann Stringile, Julie Suber, Annie Sullivan, Susan Sulzer, Martha Sumption, Edyann Switzer, Andrea Sydnor, Jan Tanner, Candice R. Tarro, Judy Taylor, Tabitha Theodore, David Thompson, Katharine Torlish, Anna Trebisovkaya, Rob Tripp, Jen Trucksis, Crista Tubb, Peggy Tuck Marr, Maureen Urff, Joe Valencia, Anne Van Hagan, Ann Vanlaar, Millie VanTassel, Kathy Vercellone, Linda Viliesis, Bente Villadsen, Jim Virgil, Susan Vitek, Veronica Vogt, Bob Vogwill, Sandra Waddell, Anita Wahlen, Beverly Waid, Mary Waitzman, Pat Walker, Francis Walker, Raymond Walls, Wendy Walton, Dennis Wansing, Linda Warren, Debbie Weber, Mary Louise Webster, Jess & Brad Weinberger, Marcy Weiss, Lynne Welch, Angeline Welch, Karen Welsh, Janis Wentzell, Charles Westphall, Regina Wethington, Sandra White, Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence E. Wicks, Richard & Paula Willis, Stella Wilson, Judith Wilson, Robert Wiseman, Cindy Witkowsky, Maxine Wittenberg, Maria Wolf, Phyllis Wolfe, Ann Wolfe, Victoria Woodward, Justina Wooten, H. Wright, Richard Wymore, Glenn Yarborough, Millie Yarbrough, Dorothy Yohe, Bobbie Young, Heather Zelehoski, Amy Zenk, Frances Zenor, Phil Ziegelbaum, Susan Zimmerman.

As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.