By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The Niles Thursday Night Live concert series officially kicked off last night and with that came the first in a series of raffles from the Niles Noon Optimist Club.
The raffles, which will take place at each of the Thursday night concerts, are for gift certificates donated by Millennium Steak House, 1245 S. 11th St.
The weekly giveaways are part of the Niles Optimist Duck Race fundraiser at Riverfest in August. Everyone who purchases raffle tickets to participate in the plastic Duck Race will be eligible for the weekly raffles and for the grand prizes at the actual race on Aug. 8 at 2:45 p.m.
Niles Noon Optimist Club secretary/treasurer Erika Kirtdoll pointed out community members should get their tickets as soon as possible because each ticket holder will have two chances to win with the raffles and also with the race.
Nick Giannakakis, owner of the Millennium Steak House, donated a total of $1,000 worth of gift certificates to the event with 20 gift certificates for $50 each.
Giannakakis is a strong believer in community support and this marks the third consecutive year that his restaurant has contributed to the event.
The raffles all lead up to the actual event when hundreds of colorful, plastic ducks, each marked with the corresponding number of a raffle ticket, will be placed in the St. Joseph River with the five grand prizes going to the first five ducks to pass the finish line. Kirtdoll said the Duck Race has been a community favorite and that it is usually one of the last events of Riverfest.
The grand prizes include: first prize – $1,000 cash; second prize – a family membership to the Niles-Buchanan YMCA; third prize – $150 gift certificate to Millennium's Steak House; fourth prize – $100 gift certificate to Signal Travel; and fifth prize – $100 gift certificate to Majerek's.
Raffle tickets for the Duck Race are $5 each and three tickets for $10. Tickets are available at each of the Thursday concerts and at the YMCA. Tickets can also be purchased from members of the Optimist Club, Junior Optimist Club and the Riverfest Committee. For more information or tickets, call Erika Kirtdoll at (269) 684-7300 or Dave Vanstrien at (269) 685-6005.