BILLINGS – Rimrock Mall hosted another year of the Playhouse Parade on Saturday with a raffle to raises money to help at-risk youth.
This year’s playhouses have been on display at the Rimrock Mall for several weeks. The celebration and drawing to give away the houses happened on Saturday.
“When people answer and they hear that they actually won out of the thousands of tickets that are actually sold, they’re delighted,” said Darwin George, Playhouse Parade president.
“She knew exactly where she had put tickets in that bucket,” Daron Olson said about one of the winners. “ The little white one with the black trim. She was pretty excited.”
Any child might enjoy at least four of the playhouses. The fifth is a big kid playhouse which they’ve had around for a few years now.
“Some people didn’t want a playhouse and some people kept saying that they didn’t want to buy tickets,” George said. “And I can understand that. So we came up with something that anybody would want to win.”
The playhouse helps out several non-profits: Family Tree Center, Young Families Early Head Start, Habitat for Humanity, Road Dogs Christmas Toy Run. Backpack meals program, Tumbleweed and the West End Exchange Club.
“Don Floberg and Rimrock Mall started this in the late ’90s,” George said. “That’s the mission that Don and Rimrock Mall wanted. One of the missions is to spread that awareness so those in need can also find these organizations.”
In 17 years, the Playhouse Parade has raised about $700,000.
George said the playhouses will be delivered on Sunday.
