Employees of Equinox Gold are all part of the August jackpot for the Sudbury hospital foundation 50-50 draw
Another big jackpot prize for Sudbury’s Health Sciences North Foundation’s (HSN) 50/50 cash lottery has been won by a resident living outside of Sudbury. In fact, there are a dozen winners who are part of the August jackpot.
A release from the Foundation states that Joel Letourneau of Geraldton and 11 of his colleagues at Equinox Gold have won the prize of $432,700.
Letourneau said he and his partners have been buying tickets for several months.
“The guys are never going to believe this,” said Letourneau of the news they’d won. “We’ve been buying tickets for a couple of years now. They’re all going to think I’m messing with them.”
Of course, the group wasn’t able to pose for the customary photo, said the release. “Joel and the crew of winners were on the job when we called them and weren’t available for a photo opportunity.”
The release said proceeds of the HSN 50/50 draw support priority medical equipment purchases, cutting-edge medical research, and the future healthcare needs of Northeastern Ontario through the Health Sciences North Foundation.
For example, the Foundation said $2.3 million of HSN 50/50 proceeds were used to open HSN’s Acute Reactivation Care Centre (ARCC), a 52-bed facility aimed at providing specialized care to older adults to reduce their length of stay in hospital and get them back home.
The model of care of the ARCC was recently celebrated nationally at the Canadian Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting in Calgary.
“The population of older adults in Northeastern Ontario is expected to grow in the coming years. The ARCC is crucial in helping to provide the best care to older adults while making sure they can get back on their feet and back into the community instead of remaining in hospital,” said Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke, Medical Director for the Northeast Specialized Geriatric Centre.
The Foundation said the September draw will be more than marking the change of seasons, but could also mark a change of fortune for the right ticket buyers.
“Leaves won’t be the only thing falling from the sky for a few of our lucky winners this month,” said the release, as September’s draw features three $10,000 early bird draws. All prize deadlines are at 11:59 p.m. the day before the draw takes place.
The first early bird draw deadline is September 11 at 11:59 p.m. for the Sept. 12 $10,000 draw, said the news release.
The jackpot is updated online in real-time and continues to grow as more people buy tickets. Each month half of the total ticket sales support priority equipment purchases, funding leading-edge research and supporting the future healthcare needs of Sudburians and residents of Northeastern Ontario: the other half goes to one lucky winner.
Residents across Ontario over the age of 18 can purchase tickets for a chance to win. Tickets for the September draw are available to purchase right now, with sales ending at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25. The grand prize winning ticket will be drawn on Friday, Sept. 26 at 10:00 a.m. and posted online at www.hsn5050.ca.