Samaritan Clinic Cash Raffle Winner Purchased Ticket Last Minute

Samaritan Clinic Cash Raffle co-chairs Dr. Alyssa Stephenson and Dr. Michael DeGere with Grand Prize Winner Jim Simon of Fond du Lac.

The Grand Prize Winner of the Samaritan Clinic Cash Raffle has been buying tickets for the raffle for years, but purchased just one this year the day before the raffle. That’s all it took for Jim Simon of Fond du Lac who won the $100,000 cash prize. He says it did surprise him when he got the call from raffle co-chair Dr. Michael DeGere, but he was mindful that he was on the radio. He says he wanted to say something like “Holy Sugar” not in those exact words, but wasn’t going to say it on the air. Jim had just come in from some yard work and was the only one home when the call came. He says his wife didn’t hear the call on the radio and when he called her to tell her the good news she said “Wow” and told him she had to get back to work. He says he hasn’t really made any plans for his winnings yet. Jim has worked at Fives Giddings & Lewis in Fond du Lac as an engineer for nearly 34 years. More than 4,900 tickets were sold in this year’s raffle. Dr. DeGere says the clinic at Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac provides health care for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. A total of 25 cash prizes amounting to $150,000 were given out during the raffle.

Samaritan Grand Prize Winner Jim Simon with his son Andrew and wife Christine.

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James Simon of Fond du Lac had been doing some yard work when he got a phone call today that changed his life. Dr. Michael DeGere the co-chair for the Samaritan Clinic Cash Raffle called to inform him he was the winner of the grand prize $100,000 cash. His reaction, “You got to be kidding.” Simon said he almost didn’t buy a ticket this year and decided to buy one Tuesday, but only one. He says he decided last minute it was worth it for the chance at the money and to benefit a good cause. The Samaritan Clinic at Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac provides nearly 90 health care services vouchers a month for physician follow-up visits, vision or dental care, and medication assistance. It was the 23rd year for the raffle. The drawing was heard live on News-Talk 1450 KFIZ and K107.1.

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More the press release from Agnesian HealthCare:

James Simon, of Fond du Lac, is the grand prize winner of the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation’s Samaritan Health Clinic $150,000 Cash Raffle, being randomly drawn for the $100,000 cash prize.

            Tickets sales were steady all morning on the drawing’s final day, May 13. The suspense was finally relieved when the grand prize winner was announced by Drs. Alyssa Stephenson and Michael DeGere, 2015 house raffle co-chairpersons.  

            This is the second year the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation has offered the cash raffle. It follows a successful annual Samaritan Health Clinic House Raffle, which was established 20 years ago to help provide vital medical and emergency dental services to individuals and families in financial need whether at Ripon Medical Center, St. Agnes Hospital or Waupun Memorial Hospital. More than 4,900 tickets were sold in this year’s raffle.

            With so many other prizes to offer, the Samaritan Health Clinic $150,000 Cash Raffle has fantastic odds, and the community continues to show its support each year.

            “While the supporters of our cash raffle come from all walks of life,” says Rita Meidam, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation executive director, “they all have one thing in common. They participate because they want to help make a difference in the lives of others in our community that might otherwise go without the medical care they need.”

      Other prize winners include:

• 2nd prize, $15,000: Melvin Jahn, Menasha
• 3rd prize, $10,000: Cynthia Liethen, North Fond du Lac
• 4th prize, $5,000: Kathleen Grochowski, Wautoma
• 5th prize, $4,000: Kim Schweiger, Sherwood
• 6th prize, $3,000: Kim Vande Hey, Greenleaf
• 7th prize, $2,000: Patti Shippee, Fond du Lac
• 8th to 11th prizes, $1,000 each: Mark, Ashley and Wayne Sobotta, Oakfield; Stephanie Cheevers, North Fond du Lac; Steve Strizek, Fond du Lac; Jeff Lehner, Fond du Lac
• 12th to 25th prizes, $500: Ellen Mosey, Fond du Lac; Larry Johnson, Fond du Lac; Jerry Kraus, Fond du Lac; Diane Ballwanz, Fond du Lac; Ben Scoresby, Fond du Lac; Christina Atkins, Fond du Lac; Susan McCullough, Fond du Lac; Steve Schiefelbein, Campbellsport; Linda Gilbertson, Fond du Lac; Iris Halbach, Fond du Lac; Donna and Ken Steffes, Fond du Lac; Jim Aherns, Fond du Lac; Ken Mertens, Mt. Calvary; Mary Schultz, Fond du Lac