Dallas City Councilman Adam McGough draws the winning ticket from Holiday in the Highlands chairmen Tina Cox and Debbie Alspaw while LHWL President Melissa Hood looks on. Photo by Chris Dishman.

Sometimes charities host raffles and helpful, well-meaning folks pitch in a few bucks to help the cause, not caring to win or even knowing much about the prize. Sometimes when the drum rolls and the ticket is drawn, the winner smiles politely and wonders, “well, what the heck am I gonna do with that?!”

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Not this time.

Last Saturday, after Lake Highlands Women’s League members were reveling in the success of their 38th annual Holiday in the Highlands home tour, they tapped Dallas City Councilman Adam McGough to handle their final task. McGough pulled the winning ticket for their raffle for a playhouse designed by Raymond Harris and Associates Architects and built by Henneberger Construction.

The winner? Mindee Haas.

“Oh my goodness, I literally started shrieking like a teenager at a Bieber concert,” Haas told me. “I may have teared up when they called, too, because I have wanted to get the girls one for a long time.”

Haas, a member of Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League, said she bought the winning tickets at a LHJWL meeting held at The Store in Lake Highlands. Not knowing that, her husband, Mark, bought more tickets at the LHJWL Light Up the Highlands event.

The Haas daughters are over the moon.

“I’d like to thank the Lake Highlands Women’s League for their work in our community and for this fun opportunity to support their missions,” Mindee told me. “Goodness knows I never expected to win.”

Proceeds from the raffle will be used to fund college scholarships for LHHS seniors and support LH-area schools and neighborhood projects.

The Haas Family at Light Up the Highlands 2016