Loring Volunteer Fire Department Raffle limited to 400 tickets

Have you ever seen the 1990 Western Quigley Down Under? If not, one of the most impressive things about the movie – aside from Tom Selleck’s boss mustache – is the rifle that the flick’s hero sports around the outback of Australia.

Well, if you play your cards right and buy the winning ticket in this year’s Loring Volunteer Fire Department’s raffle, you could own a rifle similar to Quigley’s. Though the raffles’ rifle is a bit different, it was made by Shiloh Manufacturing Company out of Big Timber, the same folks who made the rifle for the movie. The raffle rifle, a Sporter #1 .45-70 Sharps Rifle – a $3,500 value -- is a beauty and is currently on Display at Westside Sports.

“They are an extremely accurate, extremely expensive rifle,” said Kenny Clark, a member of the Loring Fire Department.

Besides the first prize Sharps Rifle, the winning second prize ticket holder will be awarded a Weatherby Vanguard .270 Rifle – a $545 value – and the third prize will be a $100 gift certificate to Westside Sports.

Money raised from the raffle go towards buying equipment for the Loring Volunteer Fire Dept. so that they may continue to better serve the communities in Phillips County. There are only 400 tickets in the raffle and the winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, May 17, at the Loring Volunteer Fire Dept.’s annual Trapshooting and Horseshoe Tournament.

Winners must be 18-years-old and meet Montana gun eligibility requirements and need not be pre-sent to win.

Over the past three years, the volunteer’s firefighters in Loring have been putting together their fire-house and they feel that it is nearly complete and funds raised can go towards buying much needed equipment.

Clark said that he and his fellow volunteers would like to thanks Keystone XL Pipeline who have donated over $5,000 to Loring Fire Department.

“That has paid for

a fair amount of our costs,” said Clark.

Tickets are available at Loring Auto, North 40 Bar in Whitewater, Kimber’s Boarder Bar in Turner, Murph’s Landing in Saco, and in Malta tickets can be purchased at Independence Bank, First Security Bank, West Side Convenience, Hardware Hank, Little Otts Convenience Store and, of course, Westside Sports.

“Without Jim Mayer and Robert Twiford here at Westside Sports, we wouldn’t be able to do this,” said Clark. “We truly appreciate their help.”