Our raffle started in 1983, when Gregg Girard who was the treasurer at the time, had the brilliant idea to hold a raffle. He highly valued a good education and wanted to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships and other services to our members. He knew that scholarships for the member’s children, would put a strain on the general operations fund and more so, it could not be used for this purpose.  He thought long and hard about how the association could fund the scholarships without putting additional financial strain on the members or the association itself. He then came up with the idea of a raffle and suggested it to the board, and as fate would have it, it was approved.

It started as the Arizona Highway Patrol Association Classic Car Raffle. Each year the association would purchase a classic car and raffle it off to the winner. The revenue brought in by the raffle was used to fund scholarships for member children attending colleges at the time.

During those 39 years since, the raffle has proven its value hundreds of times over.  It has not only provided millions of dollars in scholarships to members, but it has helped with many other charitable services that we provide.  Those include financial assistance to law enforcement families in need, like DPS fallen officers’ families, and helping with both funeral and travel expenses. Association members have also delivered comfort bears to sick children at hospitals all over Arizona, and at accident scenes all throughout the state.

On November 7, 2021, Retired Sgt. & Paramedic Gregg Girard passed away.  At that time the board decided to dedicate the raffle in Gregg’s memory and henceforth call it the “Helping Hands Charity Raffle” in memory of Sgt. Gregory Girard. The board also created a scholarship in Gregg’s name awarded to a special applicant each year moving forward.

Gregg’s time with the association started way back in 1973, when he became a member. He then was elected as the treasurer for 11 years and served many years more as a representative on its board.  He stayed active in the association and especially the raffle until his death. Through the “Helping Hands Charity Raffle”, Gregg’s legacy will be remembered and deeply felt for many years to come.