FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why does St. Joe’s have a picnic?

The St. Joe’s Picnic was started in 1850 by a group of Ursuline nuns to raise funds to care for the orphaned children living at St. Joe’s. The Picnic has continued for 174 years and remains the largest annual fundraiser providing much needed support to cover the day-to-day operating expenses of the Home.

Many people do not realize that children still live at St. Joe’s. However, the days of the traditional orphanage are gone. The children who now reside at St. Joe’s were removed from abandoned, abusive, neglectful, violent, and broken homes. They are wards of the state who are placed at St. Joe’s for therapeutic treatment to help them move beyond their traumatic experiences and grow into successful young adults.

As expected, funding is provided from the state to assist with the cost of caring for these children, but this covers less than 77% of the actual expenses. This leaves a significant amount that must be raised by other means. The picnic is the major source of these additional funds and EVERY DOLLAR RAISED HELPS THE KIDS.

How can I purchase raffle tickets this year?

There are three ways you can purchase raffle tickets this year:

• Online (link coming soon)
• During Picnic on August 11th and 12th
• At various pop-up locations around town

Will there be a Chicken Dinner this year?

The Chicken Dinner is back and will be in our renovated, air-conditioned gymnasium!

I bought a raffle ticket online. How will I know if I won?

Winners for all raffles will be drawn at midnight in the bingo tent on St. Joe’s front lawn. It is NOT necessary to be present to win. Winners will be notified by phone and/or email on Monday, August 18th.

How do I claim my prize?

If you are the winner of a raffle or one of the other prizes during Picnic, you will be contacted on the Monday following Picnic. You can also contact the Picnic Coordinator, Pam Stone, via email at pams@sjkids.org or by phone at (502) 893-0241 ext. 262 with any questions or to make arrangements to pick up your prize. You must schedule a time to meet with our Picnic Coordinator at a designated location on the St. Joe’s campus to ensure the appropriate staff member is available to give you your prize.

COVID Information

We take the health and safety of you, our children and our employees seriously. Masks are optional; however, we encourage you to be mindful of the health of others. If you are not feeling well, please stay home. Let’s make this a safe and healthy Picnic!

Have more questions? Please email info@sjkids.org or call (502)-893-0241 for further information.