With a lower than usual balance in its account, a Sippican School volunteer group received approval to launch a new fundraiser this fall.

Diana Martin, of V.A.S.E. (Volunteers At Sippican Elementary), appeared before the Marion School Committee Wednesday night with a request to hold a calendar raffle.

She said one-time expenditures last year, including donations for a storyteller performance and a retiring teacher's memorial, left $6,000 in the account. Usually, the group has $12,000 on hand at the beginning of the year.

“We’re a little low on funds this year,” Martin said. “We need to gather some funds and get back to where we are normally.”

Each year, V.A.S.E. aims to donate $800 to every grade level at the school to fund performing arts programs.

For the raffle, students will be sent home with five tickets to sell. Tickets cost $5. In total, Martin said 2,000 tickets will be printed.

“If students sold half of that we would be ecstatic,” she said.

Once the tickets are sold the raffle will be held later in the year with a winning name being drawn each day of the month. Martin said a small cash prize or gift certificate will be awarded to winners.