Tammy Macefe, a former ICU nurse and current caregiver, puts her raffle tickets into baskets she hopes to win during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of BMH on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

The Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation kicked off its 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle event on Thursday, Dec. 5, its traditional holiday fundraiser that aims to raise thousands of dollars for children and family programs.

Kris Bowser, development specialist at Butler Memorial Hospital, shows a table set up for Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of BMH on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

“(The Caring Angel Program) supports charitable medical care to children 18 years of age and younger through the emergency department,” said Kris Bowser, development specialist at BMH. “And then it is also given to the family services program at Butler Memorial Hospital. They offer many programs for families and children there, such as grief support, ADHD camps and things like that.”

The concept has spread to other hospitals in the Independence Health System, with both the Clarion Hospital and Latrobe Area Hospital holding their own Caring Angel fundraisers last month.

Since its inception in 1992, the Caring Angel Program at Butler has raised nearly $3 million for children, and the first day of the 2024 raffle went a long way toward adding to that total.

Each sheet of 10 raffle tickets goes for $10, and a winner is not revealed until after the end of the event, on Friday, Dec. 13.

Bowser estimated that last year’s Caring Angel raffle raised roughly $130,000.

“Last year, the 50/50 went up over $50,000,” Bowser said. “So that’s going to continue to grow throughout the auction.”

The Caring Angel event also features a basket raffle with 58 baskets, with items such as a Big Green Egg grill, an air fryer, a 36-inch griddle and an M150 hunting tree stand.

While most of the gift baskets were donated by employees at the hospital, others were donated by local businesses or organizations, such as Butler Radio Network, Cummings Coffee & Candy, and KS Consulting and Capital. Four were donated by local businesswoman Gail Paserba.

“You get 25 tickets for $10, and there’s 58 baskets,” Bowser said. “So most people buy at least two sets of tickets.”

The Caring Angel raffle runs through Thursday, Dec. 12, with tickets for both the basket and 50/50 raffle available for purchase inside the Nixon Sarver Classroom near the front entrance of the hospital. This event is open to the public. Only cash and check transactions are accepted.

Tammy Macefe, a former ICU nurse and current caregiver, left, and Tammy Carson look at baskets during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Jenna Rion, pharmacist at Butler Memorial Hospital, puts her raffle tickets into baskets she hopes to win during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Kris Bowser, center, poses with Marie Yingling, Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation auxiliary member, left, and Connie Downs, a foundation member, during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Tammy Macefe, a former ICU nurse and current caregiver, puts her raffle tickets into baskets she hopes to win during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Tammy Macefe, a former ICU nurse and current caregiver, looks at baskets during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Kris Bowser, development specialist at Butler Memorial Hospital, poses with a basket up for raffle during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Kris Bowser, development specialist at Butler Memorial Hospital, straightens a basket during Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation's 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Butler Memorial Hospital Foundation hosted its 27th annual Caring Angel Basket and 50/50 Raffle — which benefits children, youth and families in Butler County — in the Nixon Sarver Classroom of Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, Dec. 5. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle