Generous raffle winners give car back

Generous raffle winners give car back
By Cierra Putman
The Baytown Sun

Published March 29, 2009
When Paige Soape donated Sally, her ’68 Mustang GT, to be raffled off to help pay for her family’s medical bills, she never thought that she would have Sally back. However, a twist of fate involving an innocent raffle mix-up and two generous raffle winners helped keep Paige and Sally together.

“It was really nice,” said Sabrina Soape, Paige’s mom. “Paige just bawled and then I bawled. It was real emotional.”

Sabrina said that the little boy drawing the raffle winner for the Mustang accidentally drew one raffle ticket, threw it back, and then drew another, which led to Richard Phillips and Ted Tedford Jr. both being named as the raffle winner. Realizing that it wouldn’t be easy to split a Mustang between each other, the winners decided to give the car back to Paige.

Brian’s stepmother Jo Soape thought a benefit garage sale to help her stepson Brian and his wife Sabrina pay off nearly $40,000 in medical bills would be very helpful.

Two months after the couple was married, Brian was diagnosed with kidney failure and was in and out of the hospital afterward. When his condition started to improve, Sabrina was diagnosed with cancer, a battle she still faces daily.

“We are very blessed,” said Jo. “I couldn’t have asked for more support.”

The Soapes said family, friends and strangers donated and bought most of the items available at the garage sale held at the Ocean Mobile Home Park basketball court.

“Words can’t describe it,” said Diana Tedford, Sabrina’s mom. “It’s just overwhelming seeing this many people. I wasn’t expecting this many.”

Sabrina said the benefit garage sale and raffle raised more than $7,000.

“It was a great success, and we definitely were very happy,” said Sabrina. “We still have a long way to go, but it will definitely help.”

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