BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Even though the 44th annual Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club Expo, originally slated for this weekend, had to be cancelled due to the current health crisis, the popular Expo Raffle is still in full swing.

OBGC director Tom Luckie said ticket sales have been brisk over the last few days.

“We have a few tickets left and we are hoping to get rid of them all,” Luckie said, speaking with North Country This Week by phone March 26. The raffle closes Sunday, March 29 with the drawing at 4 p.m.

“People have been unbelievably supportive,” the director said.

Lucky said normally the club still has a few hundred raffle tickets to sell on the Expo floor. However, this year, even with the Expo cancelled, sales have been excellent. OBGC only has a few tickets left to move before Sunday.

The club has also been receiving cash donations from the public. While OBGC won’t be able to recoup the entire $90,000 net proceeds from the Expo they expected this year, the raffle sales and donations will help.

“We are just really thankful to the great people in the community for supporting the club,” Luckie said.

Traditionally the Expo is the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the event help support club programming which includes character and leadership development, health educaton, STEAM and athletic programs, for about a 125 youth every day.

The OBGC building has been closed since the governor’s “PAUSE” order was put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“The quietness of this building now is kind of eerie,” Luckie said.

The director and club volunteers are staying busy though, helping out with meal delivery to local students and providing other services when needed.

“We are here to help,” Luckie said.

To help out the OBGC with raffle ticket sales or donations, visit their donate tab on their website at www.obgclub.com.