"You don't expect to have raffle tickets pushed at you at an organ recital, football match, funeral, tarot reading or theatre performance"
Not true!! I work in a small theatre, which hosts both amateur and professional acts and groups ... the raffle is quite often a feature of some of the groups' events - for instance next week we have a production of the musical "Honk", and the raffle is already being discussed.As with folk clubs it enables them to raise funds. And we used to run a raffle at Christmas each year for at least four weeks beforehand at every performance, of whatever nature, to raise funds for the Friends of the theatre, who provide some of the costly items on the theatre's wish list. For instance the Friends in the past have funded purchase of new seat covers, baby changing equipment, notice boards, foyer curtains etc