A local man who won a raffle fundraiser for the New Fulton Animal Shelter Initiative is choosing to make a gift of his prize.
Given the choice of a print of downtown Fulton during Christmas or a personalized painting by local artist Wayne Legge, raffle winner Charles Duncan has elected to have Legge paint the home of his parents - Linda and Ed Kronk - which he then will give to them.
"Their house is out in the country and is a really nice house," Duncan said of the home he grew up in. "I don't know how much longer they'll be living out there and I thought it would make a good painting."
Duncan said he purchased his 12 chances at the painting mainly "because of the shelter - it's for a good cause."
Mayor LeRoy Benton said he was pleased with the strong response to the fundraiser, which generated $658 toward construction of a new animal shelter. That brings the total raised for the project thus far to $162,490 - 65 percent of the projected $250,000 cost.
"We're very appreciative of the community stepping forward," Benton said. "It's amazing how folks have helped out. We've been very pleased and feel very fortunate."