Clyde Quay School raffled off two Taylor Swift tickets, including airfares to London, a week's accommodation and spending money. Photo: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen / ANP MAG / ANP via AFP
How much did your school manage to fund-raise with raffles and sausage sizzles? Little tip, it helps when the world's biggest superstar is involved.
A Wellington primary school has raised an astonishing $112,500 by raffling off two Taylor Swift tickets, including airfares to London, seven night's accommodation and spending money.
The money will go towards upgrading Clyde Quay School's hall.
School board chairperson Michelle Little told Checkpoint the idea arose during a PTA meeting as an offhand comment.
"Imagine if we could? And then once we started looking into it, we realised actually maybe we just can," she said.
"We started scrambling to try and see what we could do to make it happen."
She said putting up the price was a risk, as previously they had put items up for sale around $25,000.
"We put up that price through previous fundraisers that we had run, bake sales, previous raffles, all the small school methodologies that we would usually use."
Little said in some ways they risked the money with the knowledge and hope they would have some success and at least break even.
"We have been blown away, absolutely blown away with the support that we've received with this," she said.
The school has sold 4500 tickets for $25 each.
"Honestly, when we were watching at [the] count down yesterday [for the tickets] to be sold out, all of us were just sitting here floored," she said.
She said they were hoping they would sell a little over their break even.
"Once we passed the halfway point and we just couldn't believe it. This is obviously unreal and it's beyond our wildest dreams," she said.
Little said after paying all of the tickets and paying tax, they will be looking at between $70-$75,000 raised for the school.
The money from the raffle will be put towards upgrading Clyde Quay School's hall. Photo: Google maps
For another fundraiser in the future, they would consider buying Taylor Swift concert tickets again, she said.
"We have definitely floated that as an idea, given the success we've seen of this and the support we've seen not only within Wellington, but all around New Zealand.
"It really has seemed like it has been quite a successful method of raising money for otherwise quite difficult and cost effective construction work," she said.
Little said the $75,000 would not cover the entirety of the construction work required, but it would make a significant dent in what the school aims to achieve.
"The kids are very excited, as you can imagine. Taylor Swift is a very hot ticket right now. Every kid in the school is so excited and I believe every kid in school wishes that they were the one winning=."
The raffle is set to be drawn on 1 August at 3.15pm.
