John Mobley, of Union Point, bought two raffle tickets for a chance to win a week-long vacation to Mexico from his good friend Mike Daniel, who is board chair of ATLAS Ministry, Inc. in Greensboro. Mr. Mobley’s motivation was not the trip, but his desire to make a contribution to ATLAS. Little did he know that one of his tickets would be the winner, and that he and his wife, Mary Lynn, would be making plans to spend a week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at the end of January.

When Mr. Mobley received the phone call telling him that he was a winner, he thought it was a joke. Once convinced, he enjoyed sharing the news with his wife, telling her, “You are one lucky wife!”

Owner of Oak Summit Farm, Mr. Mobley makes saddles and harnesses and raises and trains horses. His clients come from all over for his expert leather work. For a number of years, he made the harnesses for the elephants and giraffes in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Mrs. Mobley is a master gardener and grows and sells vegetables, muscadines and pecans.

The Mobleys have rarely traveled for pleasure.

“It’s hard to vacation when you have crops and animals,” he said.

They are already making plans to get some extra help with the farm, so that they can enjoy their luxury vacation to Mexico.

The raffle raised $7,500 for ATLAS Ministry, which is a non-denominational Christian organization serving Greensboro and the surrounding area. Formed in 2005, ATLAS is a Christ-centered community resource that works with families who are committed to setting their lives on a new path.

For more information, visit the ATLAS website at www.atlasministryinc.org.