A Kentucky Derby VIP raffle designed to strengthen local emergency response is set to be drawn this Friday morning. Organizers say tickets are still available for residents looking to support Lincoln County Search and Rescue while getting a chance at a once-in-a-lifetime prize.

Speaking on SVI Radio’s Weekday Wake-up, Sheriff Shane Johnson emphasized that the raffle is both exciting for the winner and meaningful for the community. “That big Kentucky Derby raffle drawing is this Friday morning,” Johnson said. “Somebody is going to go to the Kentucky Derby. Somebody is going to be pretty excited about that.”

But Johnson said the true payoff is what the funds will do back home—especially for an all-volunteer search-and-rescue operation that handles emergencies year-round. “I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that ultimately this is about getting some equipment for our search and rescue units that do such a great job day in and day out,” he said. According to Johnson, new trucks are needed because current equipment has aged and because the units respond to a wide range of incidents.

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Johnson also explained that organizers worked to make that support happen sooner. “We’ve been a little frustrated by the regular process of getting them, and we decided to get creative and see if we could get them sooner,” he said. “So this is what we came up with and, you know, it’s been successful.”

The VIP prize is tied directly to those improvements. Russell Gordon, Commander of the Lincoln County Search and Rescue unit in southern Lincoln County, discussed how a new pickup truck would help the team transport mission gear more effectively and with less difficulty. Gordon said the unit’s gear includes heavy equipment that can be difficult to move with older vehicles. “This would help us get all the equipment that we need for a mission up to the area where we need to go,” he said. “We have a lot of older equipment that—I mean, we got four snow cats there. I mean, they’re really heavy, trying to pull that stuff to where we need to get.”

RELATED: RADIO INTERVIEW WITH RUSSELL GORDON OF LINCOLN COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE –

Gordon also highlighted that the trucks help with cooperation between teams, including coordination with  Star Valley. “This new truck here would greatly benefit this community and even Star Valley,” he said. “I mean, we have to work together sometimes. So if we got to drive up to Star Valley or they got to come down to us, it’s something that both of us need.”

Raffle tickets cost $20, and the drawing will take place during the Weekday Wake-up on April 17. Tickets can be purchased at fishingdogfoundation.org. Gordon concluded with a reminder about why donations matter. “Without the citizen support, even across the whole country, we can’t do this service,” he said. “So please support us and be safe out there.”