17. In 1911, a Paris orphanage raised money by raffling live babies.
A Paris Orphanage happened upon a unique way of fundraising in 1911 when it decided to hold a “Loterie de bebes. “The bizarre raffle was held with full the ‘consent of the authorities’ and involved the winners becoming the proud adoptive parents of an orphaned baby. Reports emphasized that the best interests of the children remained paramount. The orphanage assessed the suitability of the lucky winners to be parents before handing over their ‘prizes’ and split the proceeds of the raffle between several charities. It seems that all concerned saw the lottery as a sensible solution to the problem of finding homes for abandoned children.