The NIU spirit club, OPRA, will sponsor a raffle in an effort to recruit more members at the last game of the men’s basketball season.

OPRA, formally known as the Incredible All-Voluntary Fire Brigade, is known to most students as the rowdy group of spectators at athletic events who wear fireman hats and throw toilet paper into the air after the first Huskie score.

The organization is sponsored this year by the Huskie Club. Jim Braun, Huskie Club Head Coordinator, donated two hundred and fifty fireman hats.

An airline ticket was donated by Cary Sue Groth, assistant director of women intercollegiate athletics.

To belong to the organization and enter the raffle game, any NIU student may purchase an OPRA hat for $1 from OPRA President Jim Bieniek at any NIU men’s basketball game.

The raffle is open to all OPRA members, and the winner will receive a free round-trip airline ticket to anywhere in the continental United States.

Everytime an OPRA member attends a game the number on his hat will be written on a ticket and then entered into the drawing for the free airline ticket.

Also, any former OPRA member who would like to get involved again and enter the airline ticket contest may renew his membership by getting a new number on his hat.

Bieniek, a three year OPRA member, said, “We are basically a spirit club. We sit under the west basket in section F and we cheer on the team.

“Next year, we plan on having a freshman orientation to get more people involved,” he said.

The club has 50 to 60 active members although many more students join in the events at the games, which include “verbal abuse” of the opposing team, Bieniek said.

Bob Katz, a four-year club member, said “I think that it is a great organization because it is pro-NIU sports and at this university something like OPRA is needed to promote the school spirit at games.”

Before the first game of the men’s basketball season, Jeff Heaser, a Stevenson Towers North resident assistant, organized a program called “Meet Coach Rosborough Nite.”

Rosborough attended the program with members of the team and an OPRA representative.

Heaser, a two-year OPRA member said, “OPRA is great for the students and the team. The team gets more support and the students have a better time at the games because of the school spirit.”

OPRA members will join together for the next basketball game Thursday night. The final game of the season, when OPRA will pick a winner for the plane trip, is scheduled March 7th.