Gamble Pays Off For Local Woman and Agency

Photo courtesy of Coastkeeper Laguna Beach residents Phil and Collette Kaplan gave back $5,000 of their raffle winnings to Garry Brown's California Coastkeeper.

Collette Kaplan of Laguna Beach won $25,000 in Orange County Coastkeeper's 2008 raffle drawing held recently in Costa Mesa.

Approximately 754 tickets were bought for the raffle,originally sold at $100 each for a chance to win a grand prize of a Lexus hybrid vehicle.

Newport Lexus offered to sell the $114,000 car at cost to Orange County Coastkeeper, but participation in the raffle was not enough to pay for the vehicle. Approximately 1,500 tickets would have had to be sold to qualify for the Lexus drawing.

Instead, under the terms of the raffle,Coastkeeper held a drawing for $25,000, an amount representing total raffle earnings minus some of the costs of promoting the event.

Kaplan was happy to participate in the fundraiser. She and her husband, Phil, share a long commitment to environmental causes. "We understand the importance of clean water and the impact it has on wildlife," said Kaplan, who had been invited by friends, Debra and Henry Mahew.

The couple donated back $5,000 to Orange County Coastkeeper, which helps identify pollution issues affecting local water quality.