By Rosemary Miller, Executive Director
Catholic Social Services of Montana

When Michael Moore of Anaconda bought 36 raffle tickets, one for each month he had been married, he did so on his third wedding anniversary and with thoughts of a nice honeymoon for his wife, Lonette. He had been to Mass at St. Peter Church in Anaconda and heard that a trip to Hawaii would be raffled as benefit for Catholic Social Services of Montana. He waited for a couple of days until his anniversary, then bought tickets at Anaconda Catholic Community.

Imagine Michael’s surprise when he received a call the evening of May 21, informing him he had won a vacation on the Hawaiian island of Maui. He and his wife were stunned!

Michael has been teaching Lonette to play golf and has been working on his own skill in the sport, because the vacation package includes golf at the Plantation Course, home of the PGA Tour SBS Championship. The package, which Michael and Lonette will use this fall, also includes a helicopter tour and a luau. The couple will spend seven nights in The Ritz Carlton Residences.

Michael has traveled in 47 of the states and looks forward to making Hawaii the 48th. Lonette has not flown in a large plane and is excited about traveling to Hawaii.

The raffle and the annual Spring Back to Life golf tournament held May 21 at Green Meadow Country Club in Helena raised more than $53,000 for Catholic Social Services of Montana. The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation generously donated the trip to Maui. Proceeds of the fundraising will go a long way in helping Catholic Social Services provide services to children and families in Montana during the coming year. The agency covers the entire state, providing help and creating hope.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 8, August 20, 2010.