POCATELLO — Terry Fredrickson said he was extremely happy with the results of New Day Products’ bicycle raffle to raise money to help send the nonprofit’s participants to Idaho State University events, especially its sporting events.

    “We actually got $644,” said Fredrickson, New Day’s chief executive officer. “That means a lot of tickets for participants to go to the games. They are so excited.”

    The fundraiser began early last month when an anonymous donor, who heard the nonprofit had not been able to send its participants to games because of ongoing financial concerns, donated an orange and black beach cruiser bicycle and told them to raffle it off to raise money.

    Fredrickson was so moved by the gesture that he decided New Day had to match the gift and the nonprofit purchased a similar orange and black beach cruiser.

    They planned to sell tickets through Sept. 28, the day before ISU’s homecoming game and draw the winners.

    Those winners were Edith Kopp, of American Falls, and Alex Jones, who opted to make a gift of his good luck. Fredrickson said last month that many were buying tickets for the raffle, but writing on them that if they win, the bicycle should go to someone at New Day with the need.

    When Jones was contacted, he pretty much said the same thing.

    “He said, ‘I have 10 bikes in my garage, the last thing I need is another one. Will you please give it to someone who needs a bike at New Day?’” Fredrickson said.

    That person ended up being Kelly Crane, who has been working at New Day for about two years. He just completed his vocational training program and is now a full-time member of New Day’s staff, helping to guide the nonprofit’s participants.

    Fredrickson said they could not think of anyone more deserving than Crane.

    “Kelly’s been walking for the last two years,” he explained. “We couldn’t think of a more worthy person to get a bike than someone who has been walking to work the last two years. And that’s across Pocatello, it’s not just a small walk.”

    Crane elaborated, saying he lives in the Jefferson Avenue area of Pocatello and walks to and from New Day’s headquarters, located on North Main Street, each day. Crane, who admitted he is a bit tired of the walk, received his new bicycle on Monday.

    “I rode it home yesterday,” he said. “Found out I am partly out of shape. Once I get back to the swing of riding a bike, it will be fun.”

    Kopp says she too will benefit from the new bicycle, but not for the same reasons as Crane. Turns out Kopp has a bicycle but it’s just not the right kind of bicycle for her. She says her bicycle requires her to hunch over to hold on to the handle bars and steer, something that has become tough on her back as she has gotten older.

    “My daughter has been bugging me about it,” Kopp said. “She said, ‘Mom you need a cruiser so you can sit up and ride it,” like an old lady is supposed to ride it I guess.”

    Fredrickson said New Day also benefited last week from an anonymous donor, as well as the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, who both donated tickets for the nonprofit’s participants to attend Saturday’s homecoming game at ISU.

    But he’s not going to count on those ticket donations in the future. Fredrickson believes he’s found the means to ensure some pretty hard-core ISU fans — the New Day participants who make so much of that ISU gear being sold around town — continue to go to events at the university.

    “This was very successful,” he said of the raffle. “I think we are going to try it again during basketball season.”