Town Hall kicks off ticket sales for big fundraiser
On Saturday, Ramona Town Hall kicked off what W. T. “Woody” Kirkman called “possibly the largest fundraiser in Ramona.”
Kirkman, president of the Ramona Town Hall trustees, addressed leaders and members representing 27 clubs, who were invited to a luncheon and ice cream social in the town hall’s west wing, explaining the need to raise funds to continue refurbishing the historic structure.
For $50, individuals 18 or older may purchase an opportunity drawing ticket that will give them a chance to win a 2016 Ford vehicle or a $25,000 cash prize. The winner will choose between a truck, SUV or Mustang from Perry Ford of Poway, said Kirkman, noting the vehicle will be worth about $45,000.
Only 2,000 tickets will be sold, and the drawing is scheduled to be held July 4, 2016.
If only 1,200 tickets are sold, Kirkman said it will be a 50/50 opportunity drawing.
“The nice thing is, all losers can write it off,” Kirkman said as the Ramona Town Hall is a nonprofit organization. He asked those present to help sell the tickets through their nonprofit organizations.
Resident Jerry Meloche was the first one to buy a ticket at the luncheon. Honorary Mayor Sharon Davis kept busy selling and distributing tickets.
To purchase a ticket, call 760-789-0574 or 760-788-7215, or visit www.ramonatownhall.com. Tickets can also be purchased at The Old Town Ramona Antique Fair, 734 Main St.
Funds raised will go toward costs for structural engineering, architectural drawings and permits for the main hall, estimated at $150,000, and to paint the front of the town hall with a longer-lasting type of paint, estimated at nearly $20,000.
Ramona Town Hall, built in 1893 “is one of the last original town halls in the state of California,” Kirkman said.
Before giving tours, he ran through the history of the adobe building constructed in an architectural style of Mission/Romanseque Revival by William Sterling Hebbard at 729 Main St. The town hall was donated to the people of the community, then known as Nuevo, on Feb. 22, 1894, by Augustus and Martha Barnett, said Woodward.
The two lots for the town hall were donated by Realtor Milton Santee, who later suggested the town be renamed Ramona to capitalize on the popularity of the fictional character from the best-seller, “Ramona,” by Helen Hunt Jackson.
“It was as popular as “Fifty Shades of Grey” is today,” Kirkman said, drawing laughs from the luncheon crowd.
The Barnetts established a lifetime five-member non-paid board of trustees. Kirkman said the current board of himself, Darrell Beck, Robert Krysak, Bob Hailey and Sandee Salvatore represent 83 years of stewardship.
Ramona Town Hall is the second oldest nonprofit group in Ramona, said Kirkman.
“The oldest being the cemetery, but that’s a dead issue,” he deadpanned.
Over the years, the town hall has housed such offices and amenities as the library, chamber of commerce, movie theater, dance hall, justice court, and a bank.
In 1993 restoration and seismic retrofitting began on the building but a 1995 arson fire destroyed work that had been completed in the west wing, nearly the entire second floor, and the roof over the front portion of the building.
While waiting for the claim to settle, building codes changed, leading to additional costs for restoration.
“That fire probably set us back 17 years,” said Kirkman.
The east and west wings have been refurbished and are in use for meetings and activities, but a total of $1.5 to $2 million is required to restore the main hall, which has a stage and a wood dance floor from the 1940s.
Kirkman said the town hall just received a $7,000 grant from the Ramona Community Foundation that will go toward hiring a professional fundraiser.
Ramona Town Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.