Dream House Raffle to Benefit Special Olympics Southern California

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dream House Raffle to Benefit Special Olympics Southern California?

Special Olympics Southern California's Dream Home Raffle is a large fundraiser. The raffle aims to raise funds for Special Olympics Southern California in its continuing effort to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society. In addition to supporting Special Olympics Southern California, the raffle will be giving away over 1400 prizes, of which the grand prize is a $4 million home or $2 million in cash.

How do I purchase raffle tickets?

Call toll free 1-800-816-6108, or
Download an entry form from www.socalraffle.com and:
- Fax it to: 213-995-5053, or
- Mail the entry form to:
  SOSC Dream House Raffle
  1600 Forbes Way Suite #200
  Long Beach, CA 90810

What are the prizes?

First Early Bird Drawing:
- Prize: Winner's choice between a 2013 Mini Cooper, 2013 Toyota Prius c, 2013 Ford Mustang, or $25,000 cash
- Entry Deadline: February 15, 2013
Second Early Bird Drawing:
- 1st Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Prague, Czech Republic, a trip to Vienna, Austria, or $5,000 cash
- 2nd Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Maui, a trip to Jamaica, or $5,000 cash
- Entry Deadline: March 15, 2013
Third Early Bird Drawing:
- 1st Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto, a trip to Costa Rica, or $5,000 cash
- 2nd Prize: "Private Pacific Park Experience" - Santa Monica Pier - you and up to 9 friends have entire park to yourselves for one hour! (subject to rules and eligibility)
- Entry Deadline: April 12, 2013
Multi-Ticket Drawing:
- Prize: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Roadster or $50,000 cash
- Entry Deadline: May 24, 2013
Refer-A-Friend Drawing:
- Prize: 2013 Smart Car or $15,000 cash
- Entry Deadline: May 24, 2013
Grand Prize Drawing:
- Grand Prize: $4,000,000 Sherman Oaks Dream House or $2,000,000
- 2nd Prize: Winner's choice between an Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz C 250 Coupe, BMW X3, or $45,000 cash
- 3rd Prize: Vacation to Paris, France or $5,000 cash
- 4th Prize: Vacation to Venice, Italy or $5,000 cash
- 5th Prize: Vacation to Alaska or $5,000 cash
- 6th Prize: Vacation to New York City or $5,000 cash
- 7th Prize: Winner's choice between a vacation to Honolulu, a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, or $5,000 cash
- 8th Prize: Winner's choice between a vacation to Australia, a vacation to New Zealand, or $5,000 cash
- 9th Prize: Winner's choice between a vacation to the Cayman Islands, a vacation to Barbados, or $5,000 cash
- 10th Prize: Winner's choice between a vacation to Beijing, China, a vacation to Athens, Greece, or $5,000 cash
- Prizes 11-1400:
- 30 Samsung® Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 w/8GB Memory
- 30 Samsung® Blu-ray™ Disc® Player
- 10 Canon® PowerShot® A810 16 MP
- 1 Canon® EOS REBEL® T3i 18-55 IS LENS KIT
- 50 Samsung® Long Zoom HD Camcorder
- 50 Samsung Rugged Full HD Pocket Camcorder
- 1 Samsung 46" LED HDTV
- 1 Samsung® 51" Slim Plasma HDTV
- 20 Kindle® Fire HD 7" 16GB
- 40 Nook® Simple Touch™
- 20 RCA® 5.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System
- 20 RCA® 7" Portable DVD Player w/Swivel Screen
- 20 RCA® Audio System with iPod Dock
- 5 House of Marley® Destiny TTR Noise Cancelling Headphones
- 5 Dyson® DC24 Ball Vacuum Cleaner
- 10 Dyson® 10" Air Multiplier
- 20 Philips Sonicare™ EasyClean Toothbrush
- 50 Le Creuset® 14 Oval Casserole Dish
- 50 Hamilton Beach® Scoop 2-Way Brewing Coffeemaker
- 20 Le Creuset® 16 Pc Dinnerware Set
- 5 Wine Enthusiast® Silent 28 Bottle Wine Refrigerator
- 25 3-Piece Luggage Set
- 120 Capresso® Tea Maker
- 50 Pearl Bracelet, Earring & Necklace Set
- 733 Blue Topaz Earring & Necklace Set
- 1 Diamond Earrings
- 1 Diamond Necklace
- 1 Diamond Bracelet
- 1 Movado® Concerto Ladies Watch with diamonds
- Entry Deadline: May 24, 2013

Do you accept applications by email or sell tickets on the internet?

No. Pursuant to California statutory regulations and to section 320.5 of the Penal Code, charitable raffle tickets may not be sold or accepted on the internet.

How long will it take to receive my ticket in the mail?

At least three weeks. All tickets purchased before an entry deadline are included in a drawing even if the customer's portion of the ticket arrives after the drawing date.

How long will it take to receive my receipt by email?

Receipts are delivered within 5 minutes after an order is processed to the email address provided at the time of entry. If you did not receive your email receipt, check your SPAM folder or add office@socalraffle.com as a trusted name in your address book.

Is this Dream House Raffle legal?

Yes it is. In the summer of 2001, the California Legislature amended the state constitution to allow eligible non-profit organizations to conduct raffles as a means of raising funds. Special Olympics Southern California is registered with the California Attorney General's Office to conduct this charitable raffle.

Will the drawing be audited?

Yes, an independent raffle auditor will audit the raffle as well as supervise the early bird drawings, the multi-ticket drawing, the refer-a-friend drawing, and the grand prize drawing.

How much does a raffle ticket cost?

Tickets are $150 each, 3-packs for $400, or 5-packs for $550.

How many raffle tickets can I buy?

You may buy as many tickets as you like.

How many raffle tickets will be sold?

Only 70,000 tickets will be sold. The chances of winning are based on that number. If fewer tickets are sold, the chances of winning the Grand prize and other prizes improve. There are over 1400 total prizes making the odds of winning a prize 1 in 50. Purchasing more than one ticket increases the chances of winning.

What are the odds of winning?

The odds of winning the $4,000,000 Dream House or $2,000,000 in cash are based on the number of tickets sold. If all tickets are sold the odds of winner the Grand Prize are 1 in 70,000. There are over 1400 other prizes also available making the odds of winning a prize 1 in 50.

How many prizes are awarded?

1400 prizes are awarded including the grand prize dream house, vehicles, vacations, electronics and jewelry.

What are the Early Bird Drawings?

There are three Early Bird Drawings. This is meant to encourage people to purchase tickets sooner rather than later. If you purchase a ticket before an early bird deadline you are included in the early bird drawing, the subsequent early bird drawings AND included in the grand prize drawing. All tickets entered into the early bird drawings, as well as early bird drawing winners are included in the grand prize drawing.

Can you tell me more about Early Bird Drawing 1?

All tickets purchased by February 15, 2013 will be entered into the Early Bird Drawing 1. The Early Bird Drawing will take place on Wednesday February 27, 2013.

Prize: Winner's choice between a 2013 Mini Cooper, 2013 Toyota Prius c, 2013 Ford Mustang, or $25,000 cash

Can you tell me more about Early Bird Drawing 2?

All tickets purchased by March 15, 2013 will be entered into the Early Bird Drawing 2. The Early Bird Drawing 2 will take place on Thursday March 28, 2013.

1st Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Prague, Czech Republic, a trip to Vienna, Austria, or $5,000 cash
2nd Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Maui, a trip to Jamaica, or $5,000 cash

Can you tell me more about Early Bird Drawing 3?

All tickets purchased by April 12, 2013 will be entered into the Early Bird Drawing 3. The Early Bird Drawing 3 will take place on Thursday April 25, 2013.

1st Prize: Winner's choice between a trip to Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto, a trip to Costa Rica, or $5,000 cash

2nd Prize: "Private Pacific Park Experience" - Santa Monica Pier - you and up to 9 friends have entire park to yourselves for one hour! (subject to rules and eligibility)

What is the Multi-Ticket Drawing?

Any individual who buys three or more tickets will be entered into the Multi-Ticket Drawing, subject to the following; to be eligible entrants must purchase three or more tickets during the same purchase, using one method of payment, using the same name on each ticket, and the same mailing address for each eligible ticket. For each eligible ticket purchased, a corresponding eligible ticket will be added into the Multi-Ticket Drawing. Three tickets purchased will have three tickets entered into the Multi-Ticket Drawing. Four tickets purchased will have four tickets entered into the Multi-Ticket Drawing, etc. Multiple tickets purchased at the same time are eligible for discounts. 3-packs are available for $400 and 5-packs are available for $550.

Prize: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Roadster or $50,000 cash

What is the Refer-A-Friend Drawing?

For every person who purchases a ticket and provides your name at the time of purchase, you will receive one ticket entry specifically for the Refer-A-Friend Drawing. If two people you refer each purchase a separate ticket, you will receive two entries, if three people you refer each purchase separate tickets, you will receive three entries, etc. Drawing will be held at the time of the Grand Prize Drawing.

Prize: A 2013 Smart Car or $15,000

Who benefits from this raffle?

The prize winners as well as Special Olympics Southern California.

When does the raffle start and when does it end?

The raffle begins on January 7, 2013 and ends on May 24, 2013. If all tickets are sold before the May 24th deadline, the raffle will end sooner.

When will the prize drawings be held?

The Early Bird Drawing 1 will be held on Wednesday, February 27, 2013.
The Early Bird Drawing 2 will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2013.
The Early Bird Drawing 3 will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2013.
The Grand Prize Drawing, Multi-Ticket Drawing and Refer-A-Friend Drawing will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at the Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games.
Special Olympics Southern California reserves the right to change the drawing dates to be held earlier if all tickets are sold before May 24, 2013.

Do I have to be present to win?

No.

How will the winners be notified?

Winners will be notified by phone based on the contact information provided at the time of ticket purchase. The winning names will also be posted on this website shortly after the drawing.

Who can buy a raffle ticket?

Any person 18 years of age or older. Employees and members of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Southern California, employees of their agents, consultants, attorney, independent accountant firm, their spouses and children living in the same household are excluded from participating and are not eligible to win a prize. All federal, state, local laws and regulations apply. The raffle is void where prohibited or restricted by law. An affidavit of eligibility, provided by Special Olympics Southern California, may be required from prize winners.

Are raffle tickets tax-deductible?

No. The IRS does not allow raffle tickets to be a tax-deductible contribution.

Are raffle prizes considered income?

Yes. In addition, Special Olympics Southern California will withhold required federal taxes for all prizes over $5,000 in accordance with federal law and the organization will remit the balance of the cash prizes to the winner. All prize winners of prizes over $5,000 will be required to submit an IRS Form W-2G in order to be awarded the prize.

Are there legal rules and regulations?

Yes. They may be viewed under the Rules and Regulations section of this web site.

How do I redeem my prize?

Prize winners will be contacted according to the contact information provided at the time of ticket purchase. In addition to a list of winners posted on the Special Olympics Southern California raffle web site, a list of winners may be obtained from SOSC by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: SOSC Dream House Raffle, 1600 Forbes Way Suite #200, Long Beach, CA 90810, within one week of the Grand Prize Drawing date.

How do I get more information on Special Olympics Southern California?

Please visit http://www.sosc.org/ or call 562-354-2600.

How can I make a tax-deductible contribution to Special Olympics Southern California?

Please visit http://sosc.org/page.aspx?pid=246 or call 562-354-2616.

Still have questions about the raffle that aren't answered here?

Please visit the Rules and Regulations section of this web site or contact the raffle office: office@socalraffle.com.