Rifle raffle raises $8,000 for firefighters

Cloverdale volunteer firefighters raised over $8,000 during this years' Rodeo fundraiser, raffling off a Howa Legacy .30-06 rifle. This year's winner was John Ouelette of Sisters.

Ouelette met with firefighters on Wednesday afternoon, June 17, at Cascade Liquidators, a federally licensed firearms dealer, to complete the legal transfer. Ouelette says that the rifle will eventually be given to his grandson as he grows up and learns to hunt and shoot.

If this year's rifle looked familiar, that is because it was donated back to the volunteers by last year's winner, Ginger Evans of Sisters. Originally donated to the volunteers in 2014 by Sam and Joe Sellers of Cloverdale Fence Company, the rifle was won by Ms. Evans during last year's raffle. Evans, a former volunteer firefighter in Washington, recognized the funding needs of the volunteers and graciously donated the rifle back for another fundraiser.

This year's funds will be used by the volunteers to purchase high-intensity LED lights for mounting on their structural fire helmets, providing much-needed light in dark, smoke-filled buildings.