By Ricky Swindle

Muffler Shop Musings

Howdy, friends!

My two oldest Grand Heathens started back to school last week and they are a glad pair. That five month Spring Break  was too much for them, and they seem to be in high spirits being able to rejoin with their classmates.

My three youngest Heathens have been homeschooled by their parents since the start of the pandemic, and that is the educational course they have laid out for them.

As long as my Heathens are happy, I’m totally good with their parents’ choice of education.

The Shriners 100 Gun Raffle that the entire town participates in with me will be Sept. 26 at our Temple in Jackson. The Temple is a huge building south of Jackson on I-55 so social distancing will not be a problem there.

They had to go up $5 on the tickets this year to help recoup lost revenue from not being able to have other fundraising events during this Covid time we have all witnessed.

Tickets are $25 each for the 100 Gun Raffle. A brand new firearm will be drawn every three minutes. If you win, your ticket is placed back in the drum for the next drawing because every ticket, win or lose, is in every drawing.

If you buy three tickets, you will receive a free ticket to the bonus 15 Gun Raffle. We also have a sellers ticket that is meant to motivate Shriners such as myself to sell the tickets.

My rule has always been if you buy the three tickets, get your bonus ticket plus I’ll give you my sellers ticket also because my mission is not to win a gun for myself, my purpose is to sell more tickets for The Shrine and give the buyer every chance possible to win in the process.

I know there are some readers out there that do not believe in gambling, lotteries or drawings of any kind. If you feel that way but still find it in your heart to donate to such a worthy cause of helping sick and disabled children, then by all means drop your check made out to Wahabi Temple at my store Batesville Tire & Muffler and I will personally deliver it to the Temple secretary.

Also, our date for the Civitan Radio Day, to be held downtown at our Civitan Building, is Nov. 7 this year and will be broadcast live on www.undefinedradio.com and 105.5 FM, a part of the Super Talk group of stations.

The Civitans, much like the Shriners, are looking to make this a banner year for our club. The pandemic has shut down all our regular yearly fundraisers.

We understand and know first hand the struggles of business of this 2020 year but we really need all the local support we can gather to help us fund our organizations we support such as The Grace Place and The Birmingham Children’s Hospital among many other donations we participate in during the year.

So, there you go, folks. Help the Shriners and the Civitans if you are able. You know The Lord is going to bless you for it.

Pray for these two worthy organizations that have missed out this year on their usual fundraising activities that this pair of events will place them financially where they need to be to fund their great causes.