Union members hosting raffle to benefit family of fallen Operating Engineers 513 member

Barbecue lover’s jackpot worth over $1,000

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Correspondent

A group of St. Louis-area union members is hosting a raffle to benefit the family of Jonathan Castloo, an Operating Engineers Local 513 who passed away March 12 after a tragic accident on the job.

The winner of the raffle will walk away with a barbecue lover’s jackpot worth over $1,000. The prize includes a Weber Grill, numerous barbeque accessories, a $100 Williams Brothers Meat Market gift card and basket and spirits. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The drawing is scheduled for Aug. 13.

Brother Castloo, of Lake Saint Louis, was an eight-year member of Local 513. The 35-year-old, who was loved by many and always there to lend a helping hand, left behind a wife and three young children.

The Union Members Helping Union Members Facebook group is sponsoring the raffle. Windy Chafin, a 20-year Local 513 member and founder of the groups, credits fellow union members and local businesses for stepping up to donate items for the raffle.

“We have received an outpouring of support from members of the group and the community,” she said. “We thought the barbecue raffle would be a fun way to raise money for a great cause.”

UNION MEMBERS HELPING UNION MEMBERS
Chafin came up with the idea of Union Members Helping Union Members Facebook page after a group of union brothers and sisters hosted a fish fry fundraiser for the family of Shawn Pritchett, a Local 513 member who died in a crane accident 2019.

“Solidarity is so important, and now more than ever, we need to help our fellow brothers and sisters and retirees,” she explains on the page. “There is no need to feel ashamed because we have all faced hard times.”

Members who need help with anything – food, bills, school clothing – can post to the page or send a direct message to Chafin through the page. She frequently reaches out to the group to see how everyone is doing and reminds members to reach out if they need assistance.

TO BUY RAFFLE TICKETS
To buy raffle tickets call Chafin at 636-575-4247 or use your PayPal or Venmo accounts. For more information about Union Members Helping Union Members, visit facebook.com/groups/3647382508670184.