(WNY News Now) – In an unexpected turn of events, the Harborcreek Fire Department (HCFD) has been forced to cancel its highly anticipated Nova raffle after the event’s financial viability was called into question.
The Harborcreek Fire Department (HCFD) announced the cancellation of its Nova raffle, citing significant financial challenges. The decision came after the department’s partner, NFI Empire, notified HCFD that the raffle could not proceed unless the department purchased the car outright. Faced with this ultimatum, the department realized that continuing the raffle would result in a substantial loss of approximately $25,000, factoring in both the car’s value and the promised cash prizes.
During a meeting, the HCFD membership discussed the issue thoroughly and determined that, despite the raffle’s popularity, they could not move forward without incurring significant financial risk. Chief Charlie Ramsey expressed regret over the situation, stating, “The members of the Harborcreek Fire Department apologize for having to take this action and will be working on refunding the tickets over the next few days.”
The HCFD is in the process of issuing refunds to all 360 ticket holders, a task that will take several days as each refund must be processed individually through their Square account. Chief Ramsey has asked for patience from those affected by the cancellation.