PNM holds-10-car raffle to fund new Balisier House

Dr Keith Rowley is asking PNM members and the wider public to participate in the party’s ten-car raffle, which will aid in financing the construction of a new home for the party. The new building will be on the western side of the grounds of the original building on Tranquillity Street, Port of Spain.

During the launch of the raffle on Thursday night at Balisier House, Rowley said while the new structure would give the PNM more space, the original Balisier House would not be demolished, but refurbished and used to house the PNM’s archive library which would be open to the public.

The cost of a raffle ticket is $100 and the first draw will take place in August. Rowley told supporters if they did not have a ticket, they did not have a chance. Nine of the cars were Honda City CNG cars and the first prize was a BMW 3CD.

“A new Balisier House is one that would allow us the space to do what we have to do, provide greater comfort, provide space for committees and our young people.

“We have planned this for a number of years, but to do so we have to raise the funds to finance this venture. To do so we are relying on the generosity and participation of our membership, our supporters and the wider business community because this being a PNM headquarters, it would be a national location and a national institution. We did not plan for a next election, we planned for a lifetime of the nation of TT,” Rowley said.

He said they were asking the national community to support the PNM raffle because it was for a good and worthy cause for an organisation that has stood by this country from colonial days to independence through republicanism to today.

“You can tell yourself that you are contributing to something that is worth it. So if you can manage to just buy a window, or a door, or even a brick, you can tell your children or your neighbour’s children that you contributed to the construction of Balisier House, the headquarters of the PNM,” Rowley said.

Party chairman Franklin Khan said it has always been the policy of the PNM to raise funds legitimately.

“It has always been our philosophy that it is better that 100,000 people donate $100 to a cause than ten financiers donate $1 million. Then we are accountable to the masses and not to the financiers,” he said.