Goal is to raise $50,000 for childrens hospital

While the Hillbilly Shriners main fundraisers have already been held this year, they are still out and about continuing to raise money to take kids to the hospital.

On Saturday, three of members of El Hasa Shriners Hillbilly Clan, Outhouse 8, of Ironton, in all their traditional finery and hats, and one of their jalopies, were set up at the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on the Ironton Riverfront.

They were selling chances to win Ohio State Buckeye tickets and sports memorabilia to continue to raise funds.

“We are raffling off chances on two season tickets to the Ohio State Buckeye football game, said Roger Morgan, the Imperial Keeper of the Cob for the Hillbillies in Ironton. 

Other raffles include chances at Buckeyes jerseys and an OSU football helmet signed by Eddie George, an OSU running back who won the Heisman Trophy in 1995 and then went on to a long career in the NFL. He is now the head football coach at Tennessee State. 

“We have eight different prizes,” Morgan said. “The first person to draw has their choice of prizes. Everything is certified and autographed.”

All the money raised from the raffle will go to Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The money the Shriners raise from their fundraising goes to either the hospital or to El Hasa Shrine Temple fund to transport to Shriners hospital in Lexington, Kentucky and Cincinnati.

Morgan said the recently had their annual golf outing and it raised $30,000.

“We are hoping to donate $50,000 this year, like we did last year to our hospitals,” he said.

Morgan said their next donation will make the Ironton Outhouse donations total over $300,000 since they started 13 years ago.

“It is all from local people, from Ironton and Lawrence County,” he said. “We are real tickled about that.”

He said the Hillbillies started in Ashland, Kentucky in 1970.

“It was really popular in the Shriners and there are now 189 Hillbilly Clans in the United States and Canada,” Morgan said. “And we have raised about $13.5 million for the hospitals. Everything the Hillbillies raise, it goes to the kids. We don’t keep any of the money for ourselves.”

And the most obvious thing the Hillbillies are known for from the various parades around the area is their jalopies, old cars that look like it was found along a backcountry road.

“Those are all privately owned and all our time is donated,” Morgan said. “So, every penny we get goes to support the children at the Shriners Childrens Hospital.”

The Ironton Hillbilly Clan has several fundraisers throughout the year including an onion sale, penny drives at the schools and Hillbilly Day in Ironton.