Drake Mason, 10-year-old son of Billy Mason and April Kea, wanted to raise money for a good cause so when he learned that the Swainsboro Shrine Club purchased a new parade bus, his mind was made up because he enjoys attending parades and watching the members of the Swainsboro Shrine Club dress up like clowns and bring smiles to everyone’s face. Drake, with the help of his father, started selling tickets March 1, for a chance to win a 1991 Case Knife XX Limited Edition Shriners Knife (1 of 500). The winning ticket was drawn at the Shellman Bluff St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on March 23, and the lucky winner was Alan Anderson from Shellman Bluff. On Thursday, March 28, Drake presented a check in the amount of $1,930 to the Swainsboro Shrine Club to help pay for the wrapping and lettering of the new bus ‘Swamp Donkey’. Nick Brown, President of the Swainsboro Shrine Club stated, “It means a lot for a child this age to want to do something like this.”
The Swainsboro Shrine Club wishes to thank Drake, Billy, and everyone who purchased tickets for helping them prepare the new bus for parading, and they look forward to showing off the new bus and continuing to bring smiles to everyone’s face during parades.