Winner of church raffle driving from NY to pick up new Corvette | News

The winner of the 24th Annual St. Bernard Classic Corvette Raffle is making a 1,360 mile round-trip journey to pick up his prize...a 1966 Corvette Convertible valued at $80,000.  The winner's name was drawn this past Sunday at the conclusion of the St. Bernard Summer Social.  The Corvette raffle was a sell-out with all 10,000 tickets being sold.

The winner is Edward L. Ess of Batavia, NY.  He is traveling with his wife and a rented car hauler.  Organizers say Ess is a true Corvette enthusiast, owning over 40 of them in his lifetime.

This particular Corvette was manufactured in May of 1966 and delivered new to RM Burritt Motors in Oswego, NY....only 100 miles from Ess' home.  So 45 years later, this classic Corvette will be going home.

Saint Bernard Parish in Rockport, IN purchased the Corvette in November, 2011 from ProTeam Corvette Sales in Napoleon, Ohio.  10,000 raffle tickets were printed and sold.  Tickets were purchased from around the world including Canada, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Germany and Austria.  Proceeds benefit the parish and Saint Bernard Elementary School, the only parochial school in Spencer County.