This raffle is to fund scholarship money for qualified high school applicants.

The family would like to extend our deepest appreciation to our sponsors:

Gary Lee passed in July of 2016. But his name and spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of the thousands of people he positively impacted for over 45 years.

And what a legacy he left! 

He coached thousands of students to championship-level success in multiple FFA agricultural and leadership events. He personally trained and mentored multiple students to the highest offices of Florida's FFA state organization. Many of his teams won State and National FFA competitions. Gary himself ended up in the Florida FFA Hall of Fame. His induction into that prestigious pantheon was undoubtedly his finest professional accomplishment and yet, it was never about that.

For Dad life was always about the daily commitment to someone other than himself. We all know that.

He was committed to his God, his family and to his community in a way that all envy and few will ever attain.

So now is our chance to honor that commitment- to express our deepest gratitude for his endless giving, to extend our appreciation for his gentle and charming demeanor and to offer our most sincere thanks for his steadfast care and concern for all of us.

In the days after Dad's death the family was showered with stories of our father's legacy. Often these were hidden stories, known only to Gary and the person he impacted. Together, however, they represented a tapestry of human greatness that was humbling and inspiring. We knew that this man- our father- must not be forgotten. 

We created a Legacy Fund that is kept under safe keeping by the Florida FFA Alumni Association. Our intent was to raise money in Gary's name to continue the promise he made to students looking for personal challenge and achievement.

In the few weeks following Dad's death, an old family  friend offered to have built a raffle item worthy of the cause. Jimmy Brod, owner of JB Aircraft Engines in Sebring, spearheaded and oversaw the build of the magnificent smoker you see on this page. The effort was supported by our listed sponsors through donation of material and money. It was expertly crafted by Tin Shed Metal Works. 

And now we are proud to offer such an amazing raffle prize to all of you. The retail value of this prize is over $5,000 and would be a great addition to any family or organization's cooking repertoire. The smoker has many outstanding features including an electric rotisserie for the cooking racks. Solidly built, it will be around for many, many years of cooking and barbecuing.

The money raised from this raffle will be go directly into scholarships for qualifying applicants. This year the money will be awarded to students living in Highlands County, Florida- the heart of Gary's legacy. Specifically these students must be participating in FFA in a meaningful way, as well as demonstrating academic excellence. In this way, we can all pull together and continue to fund Dad's incredible legacy by impacting deserving students for years to come.

We appreciate your consideration of this raffle and we are humbled by any and all donations made toward its aim. We greatly miss and love our father, as I'm sure many of you do too. Here's our chance to honor that love, even if it falls far, far short of the real thing.

God Bless all of you!