Music teacher wins new house in NIC raffle

A Coeur d’Alene music teacher won a house worth $255,000 this evening in the North Idaho College Foundation’s Really BIG Raffle. The home, built by students in the college’s carpentry program, was the grand prize in the 19th annual fundraiser. The NIC Foundation spends the money on student needs, programs and equipment. Debbi Hahn, who teaches beginning strings to fifth graders in the Coeur d’Alene School District, won the three-bedroom, two-bath rancher on Sorbonne Drive in northwest Coeur d’Alene. The house has more than 3,600 square feet, including an unfinished basement. Most grand prize winners have sold their houses, but a few have moved in. The Ephrata, Wash., woman who won last year’s house sold hers. There were four other major prize winners drawn Wednesday at Fort Sherman Park on the NIC campus: Richard Hardy of Dalton Gardens won a $20,000 car, Melissa Burke of Spokane Valley won a $10,000 boat, Marlene Watts of Coeur d’Alene won a $3,500 travel package, and Wayne Koski of Mullan won a $2,000 shopping spree. The foundation sells 5,000 tickets at $100 apiece for the raffle. This year the last ticket sold Tuesday night, said Rayelle Anderson, the foundation’s executive director. The $220,000 in proceeds from this year’s raffle will go toward scholarships for students in need, upgrading technology equipment on campus, and capital improvements. The foundation also puts $50,000 toward a faculty and staff grant program. The foundation has generated proceeds of $3.2 million since the raffle began.