The Carmack community recently raised $6,629 to make repairs and cover costs at the Carmack Community School building by selling raffle tickets.
Danny Pepper, who purchased a single $3 raffle ticket took home the raffle prize, a Ruger .30-06 rifle.
The fundraiser, organized by Carmack Community Club members along with Danny Steen and Jeremy Burrell, set a $5,000 goal to make repairs within the building and cover the cost of insurance for the facility.
Danny Pepper from Lexington, center, was the winner of the 30 aught 6 Ruger action rifle recently raffled off to raise funds for repairs on the Carmack Community Center. He is flanked by Danny Steen, left, and Cal Armstrong, right, owner of Carmack Fish House.
Photo submitted.
Steen said he was contacted by members of the Carmack community to help them raise the money since he regularly assists in local fundraising efforts that he supports, including the American Legion and McAdams High School. In fact, he was asked by McAdams band director Shelby Jones, Steen’s god-daughter, about helping with a previous fundraiser that raised $3,000.
Steen said he was honored to assist the Carmack community due to his family ties to the area.
“I have family inheritance in that community,” said Steen. “I’ve got cousins that went to school there, and I was born and raised on what we call Zilpha Creek Bottom.”
According to Steen, longtime friend and former co-worker Cal Armstrong told him the Carmack community was having trouble raising money for their project and asked for his help fundraising and getting others involved with the effort.
Steen said the Carmack Community School building has pictures of kids dating back to the 1930s along its hallways.
“A lot of people in the community are second- and third-generation descendants of some of these people in the pictures,” said Steen. “This building has got all kinds of potential.”
He said that since the school has not been used for education in years, the building has been rented out in the past and was even used to hold local Grand Ole Opry events in Carmack.
Armstrong told Steen he wanted to raise $2,500 toward the effort, and Jeremy Burrell with Modern Woodmen agreed to match up to $2,500 if the community could raise the funds. But Steen insisted that he could raise $3,000.
Steen said he and his wife took on the fundraising together with help from Armstrong and other community members. By selling raffle tickets to local residents hoping to win the rifle, they were able to raise $4,129. Burrell and Modern Woodmen of America’s $2,500 match brought the total figure to $6,629.
“Jeremy was so impressed he offered me a full-time job with him selling insurance,” Steen joked. “He said, ‘You’re one of the best salesmen I’ve seen in my life.’ I said it’s just having a big mouth. You’ve got to have a big mouth to be a good salesman.”
Steen, who has helped many local communities with fundraising efforts, said this whole process started when he created three homemade knives.
“I ordered a blade and a sheath from South Carolina. I put a deer horn head on it, sharpened it to a T, and raised $930 off of three knives in three weeks. Cal Armstrong and I went into a pawn shop and spent $615 of that money on a Ruger rifle. Then, we turned around and made $4,100 dollars,” said Steen. “Zero dollars came out of our budget or anybody’s pocket; it was earned money.”
In addition to raffle ticket sales, Steen said he received several donations from people in Kosciusko and Attala County.
The money will be used to repair the old school building and cover annual insurance costs. Steen said the Carmack Community Club has nearly 20 members, and they have projects in mind for the future.
“About 10 of us are going to get together and form a committee that goes to elderly people’s houses and do things like replacing steps, installing a window or screen porch, or whatever they need done that they either can’t do or can’t afford,” he said.
For the next Carmack community event, Steen said he plans to host a turkey shoot two weeks before Thanksgiving. He said he will set up tables with five seats each and let people shoot at a target using a flat iron .22 caliber rifle with iron sights. Whoever gets closest to the bullseye will win the turkey.
“If I get a turkey for $20, and sell five tickets for $50, we just raised $30 per shoot and had a lot of fun while doing it. Then, we’ll have hamburgers, french fries, corn dogs, and whatever else on top of that.”
Steen said he strives to help local communities in need because he feels that is his calling from God.
“I believe in the fact that the Lord sends you to places where He needs you,” said Steen.
