Annie Borge won nearly $14,500 Saturday in a Queen of Hearts raffle, though the big winner was the Emmanuel Episcopal Church of La Grange.
The church has been raising money since 2017 for its pipe organ restoration project, an ambitious plan that will continue to raise money through 2020. Emmanuel Episcopal Church is one of the oldest churches in La Grange, founded in 1872. The church installed the Casavant Opus 3062 organ in 1969.
The pipes will be refurbished in Canada, though the ivory keys cannot leave Illinois. The total cost for the restoration is $450,000.
“The church this is the first in the area,” said Katherine Clark, the church’s historian. “The church is on land that was on the exact center of the village of La Grange.”
Although the original wooden building burned down in 1924, the existing building dates from 1926.
Clark has been going to the church for decades and said it’s a special place. She sings in the choir, and over the years she said she’s seen how important the church and the organ is in the community.
“It’s beautiful and an awe-inspiring sacred space,” she said.
Saturday’s drawing was the 53rd drawing in the raffle, and it concluded the first time the church has held a Queen of Hearts raffle. Member Stan Jasiak said the round of fundraising has been well received.
“It’s been great,” he said. “We have had a lot of the people who have come to the Barrel House.”
Several dozen members and supporters turned out Saturday, and one man said the fundraising is bringing the community together.
“This is a great thing for our church and this is a great thing for Barrel House, and it’s a great thing for La Grange, because it is bringing people together to raise a few bucks,” said Dan Mottl.
Mottl has been a member of the church for six years and he sings in the choir. He said he was impressed when he first visited the church and heard the organ.
“When I first heard the pipe organ I was blown away,” he said.
Barrel House Social, a restaurant and bar, hosted the event, though the winning entry was drawn at the Episcopal Church of La Grange to comply with village regulations.
The church raised $28,989, though half of that went to the Queen of Hearts winner and the rest went toward the organ restoration.
The church expects to have another fundraiser in September, and the organ is expected to be re-assembled in December 2020.
For more information or to make a donation, go to emmanuel-lagrange.org and click on pipe organ project.