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ALTON - The Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation will host its 15th annual Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball to raise money for a new ambulance.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, community members can enjoy raffles, a live auction, skeet and trap shooting, a quail flush, a steak dinner, live music from the Glendale Riders, and more at Nilo Farms. The money from ticket sales and the raffles will go toward the Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation. They hope to raise $200,000 to purchase a new ambulance for Alton Memorial Hospital.
“Everyone at some point in their lives has to use an ambulance,” said Shannon Fraley, who organizes the event. “Unfortunately, that is a true statistic. So we’ve got to make sure that we have top-notch equipment.”
Alton Memorial Hospital (AMH) and their ambulances service 374 square miles in Madison, Macoupin and Jersey counties, according to Jason Bowman. Bowman, emergency medical services manager at AMH, said that each ambulance travels 60–65,000 miles per year.
The annual Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball fundraises for a new ambulance every year. While the event itself is almost sold out, there are several raffles that community members can still participate in online.
The Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation is raffling off a four-wheeler. For $50, you can purchase a raffle ticket for the chance to win a 2024 CF Moto Camo C600 Four-Wheeler from Midwest Motor Sports. Only 500 tickets will be sold.
The organization is also selling raffle tickets for a booze boat, a bourbon collection and a freezer of beef. Tickets cost $20 for each item. Winners must be 21 or older and present a valid state ID to claim their prizes. You can visit the official Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers website to purchase raffle tickets online.
For those who decide to attend the Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball, the event starts at 4 p.m. on Sept. 14 and will offer a live auction. The Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation will auction off hunting and fishing trips, two lab puppies, concert tickets, Kansas City Chiefs game tickets and more.
The event will also offer gun raffles and a Best Dressed prize. While there’s no dress code, Bowman encourages camo.
“This is camouflage, wear what you want to wear,” he explained. “Most people wear waders. There’s people in shorts and flip flops all the way to people wearing full dress camo ghillie suits. You name it, they wear it.”
Fraley and Bowman thanked the sponsors who make the event possible. Through donations, sponsorship and ticket sales, they are a little over halfway to their goal of $200,000. They hope the raffles and live auction push them over the line.
Fraley expressed her appreciation for the people who always help the Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation reach their goal. She said that learning how much money they have raised is her favorite part of the night.
“There have been years, like my first year, when we were this close to a certain goal, [and people said,] ‘We’re going to get you there,’” Fraley remembered. “Not only did they get us there, they got us over that. It’s just when that whole group comes together and says, ‘Let’s get them there. Let’s take them over.’”
For more information about the Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball, or to donate or purchase raffle tickets, visit their official website.
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