From the McHenry County Republican Party:

Woodstock fireman wins McHenry County GOP Meat Raffle 

“The whole family is getting meat,” said Pat Keefe of Woodstock after hearing that he had won the McHenry County Republican Party’s Meat Raffle.

The drawing was at held at Woodstock Country Club Sunday, Dec. 20. McHenry County GOP Chairman Tyler Wilke said that sales for the tickets were very brisk.

The prize for the raffle was a local McHenry County raised quarter side of beef. 

Keefe, a fireman with Woodstock Fire & Rescue District, is the husband of McHenry County Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe.

Kathy actually purchased the tickets but wrote her husbands name and cell phone number on the ticket stubs.  

“I don’t answer my cell phone very well,” she said adding that Pat does a better job with that.  

Still, Kathy said she didn’t really expect to win. She saw it more as a donation to the party.

“I was feeling that he (Pat) is the lucky one and he was.” 

“The raffle was created to raise funds for promoting republican candidates, training committeemen, informing voters and building a stronger party,” said Wilke.

He added that many people commented on the timeliness of the raffle – “just before Christmas.” 

“Tyler called and said, ‘You won. You won the beef,’” said Pat.

“Now the question is where to put it all.” 

He said the solution of what to do with more than 200 pounds of beef is to share it with the family. 

“Once we get into the summer, and we can have bashes again, that’s something maybe we should do,” said Kathy. 

Pat agreed. “My brother-in-law has a big smoker,” he said.

However, he indicated that a big barbeque won’t use all the meat.

That’s where family comes in.

As Kathy put it, the whole family actually won.