Wichita entrepreneurial incubator NXTUS Inc. has canceled its Nov. 30 bourbon raffle fundraiser after it was flagged by the Kansas Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division.
"We thought we had done extensive due diligence," said Mary Beth Jarvis, NXTUS executive director. She said regulators told NXTUS late last week it couldn't hold the nationwide raffle, which featured a prize giveaway of 19 bottles of rare and collectable bourbons.
According to NXTUS' raffle website, 309 ticket buyers had purchased $41,500 worth of raffle tickets. NXTUS had said it would sell as many as 2,014 tickets — a nod to the year it was founded — which would raise as much as $201,400 for entrepreneurial programs.
Jarvis said raffle ticket buyers will be offered refunds by email. Buyers can choose to make a charitable donation that will bring a receipt and acknowledgement.
NXTUS hasn't decided on a new fundraiser, she said.
"The great thing about folks in the entrepreneurial world is learning to pivot," Jarvis said. "We'll get to thinking about the right way to continue to fuel great programs we serve.
As for the prize bottles themselves?
"We'll cross that bridge," Jarvis said. "First things first."
