Hohokam members volunteer at Hohokam Stadium for the Oakland A’s and Sloan Park for the Chicago Cubs. They run gate and park entries, parking lots, ushering, program sales and the ever popular 50/50 raffle.
In 2007 at Hohokam Park, the Ho’s started the 50/50 Raffle as a way to raise funds for causes in the community that were not sports related. There were only two members of the Hohokams selling tickets, Sherrie Nielsen Coker and Shanlynn Newman.
Here’s how it works: Raffle tickets are sold to fans inside the ballpark. The winner of the raffle receives half of the funds that are collected and the rest of the funds are donated to organizations throughout the east valley.
The next year, Sherrie’s daughter volunteered to help. Three to four years after that, Stephanie Siete, also a Hohokam member began selling tickets and it has grown every year since.
In those early years they began by making $22,000 in sales.
Thanks to the great efforts of the Hohokam members, the 50/50 raffles at Sloan Park and Hohokam Stadium have been able to raise and donate millions of dollars to support various charities in the East Valley. Some of which include: Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley, South East Diamondbacks Little League, Ballet Etudes, Gene Lewis Boxing Club, Dobson Dolphins Swim Team, Mesa Community College Women’s Basketball, Maverick Football, Arizona Aquatic Sports Foundation, Mesa Historical Society, Christ the King, Mountain Point High Baseball Program, The United Way, Sunshine Acres, New Leaf, Gracie’s Cottage, and numerous more.
HoHoKam Stadium-Oakland Athletics