I Need a MAJOR Prize from Costco, please help!

[theweave3162]

I am planning a fundraiser for a non-profit group that is just being formed called Key-Action Network. It is going to assist newly immigrated residents of Hamilton Ontario access services and get themselves settled into our great country. Our first project is to establish a community outreach centre.
The fundraiser is in October. Due to some false starts, we have not started selling tickets yet. Undaunted, I think with a price of only $50 per person, we can sell out the place.

I want to sell this thing out fast. I read that Costco will donate an item to an organization. We get it right from the manager at Costco. I want to get something big so I want some opinions and ideas from the great members!!!

So here are the choices I have thought of:

A) Large television- Not a huge flatscreen but something significant
B) A large kitchen appliance
C) Something that everyone wants and will die to get at our fundraiser
D) Something else
E) Whatever they will donate to us!

So that is the short list. I will have options on what to do with the item so time for an opinion again. I want to sell the event out (600 tickets) lightning quick. That will give us some seed money in advance and we can get to work on some other things. So my first thought is get a major prize and offer it as a draw item for the night of the event. Since there is only 600 tickets available, a person would have a 1 in 600 chance to win it. Even though it is not being given away until the night of the fundraiser, the person would not want to give up the chance to win it, so they buy now! Any other ideas???

Please put your choice and opinion on how to give it away in your reply. All suggestions will be welcomed. By the way, details of the event are on our website, see my signature for that.

Let me know what you think!

[ninna]

Ask them for a patio set or some real nice BBQ. Here's my rationale:

Everyone loves new patio furniture or a brand spanking new fancy BBQ. I would leap at either of these opportunities.

Costco always sells crap 6 months in advance-- as in, the best time to buy a swimsuit there is in December. Right now they are selling children's 2 piece snowsuits and in another month, they will bring out the Christmas wrapping paper. So it goes to reason that any patio and lawn-garden stuff has probably reached the end of its selling time for Costco and they might jump at the opportunity to get rid of that stuff and hence be more likely to donate something seriously cool because they have to get rid of it anyways.

*shrugs* That's my thought anyway...

[beckie.c]

Ask them for a patio set or some real nice BBQ. Here's my rationale:

I like this idea ^^. The BOSE sound system packages are also pretty sweet.

Personally, I'd be jumping all over a high-value costco gift-card, but not sure if that's an option for you.