Raffle Almost Derailed Toy Store Clears Legal Hurdle By Having Nursery Hold Raffle For Doll

FOR THE RECORD (December 24, 1996): Correction: The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery provides emergency respite care for children. Stories published Thursday and Friday misstated the facility’s mission.

What may be the last unsold Tickle Me Elmo doll in Spokane ought to be laughing his head off, because seemingly everybody in the state wants a piece of him.

Before Kay-Bee Toy and Hobby Shop at University City Shopping Center could raffle off the doll to benefit a charity, the Washington State Gambling Commission nixed the idea on Thursday.

“Only bona fide non-profit charitable organizations can hold a raffle,” said Amy Patjens, the gambling commission’s legal adviser. “Kay-

Bee is a commercial organization.”

Toy store employees found the doll in a pile of empty boxes in a storeroom last week.

In spite of exorbitant offers for Elmo, the toy store decided to raffle him off with the proceeds going to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. As of Wednesday, about 700 tickets had been sold at $1 apiece.

The crisis nursery provides a safe haven for children from abusive homes as well as offering crisis counseling and parenting support class.

Patjens offered a way out of the dilemma, noting that the nursery itself could legally hold the raffle.

And when the nursery made toy store manager Julie Simpson an honorary member of its board of directors Thursday, the raffle was back on track at the U-City store, with the winning ticket to be chosen Monday at 10 a.m.

“Kay-Bee was very cooperative with us in getting this resolved,” Patjens said.

Said Simpson: “This all worked out for the best. All we cared about was giving something to a charity.”

, DataTimes