THUNDER BAY — One of the most successful ongoing hospital fundraising campaigns in Canada not only continues to thrive, but appears to be on pace for a record-setting finish to the year.
Through the end of September, the monthly 50/50 draw operated by the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation generated more revenue than it did through all 12 months of 2022.
Although tickets for the October draw only went on sale days earlier, by late afternoon Wednesday the jackpot had already reached $542,000.
The early increase in ticket sales this month could reflect the fact that bonus numbers have been reintroduced, and that Early Bird prize money has gone up from the usual $25,000 to $35,000.
"Aside from last Christmas, this is the fastest that our jackpot has ever grown, and we're blown away by the level of support," health sciences foundation president and CEO Glenn Craig said in an interview.
He believes the publicity created by the $2.5 million jackpot in the draw last December is still paying dividends.
"It goes back to last Christmas. We got a lot of attention, not only from Thunder Bay, but across the province and across all of Northern Ontario, not just Northwestern Ontario. And I think it's just been building and building, and as some [fundraising] programs may be declining, they are seeing the larger and larger jackpot. So it's like that snowball that keeps rolling down the hill and seems to get larger every month."
Proceeds from the 50/50 go toward the purchase of new hospital equipment in Northwestern Ontario.
"People want to support hospitals. They want to feel like they're doing some real good with their support," Craig commented, "but I think people also want to win a big prize."
Thunder Bay residents are by far the largest purchasers of tickets, but the 50/50 also attracts interest in communities such as Fort Frances, Dryden, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Timmins.
Some hospitals in the other centres also have their own 50/50 draws.
"All the Northern CEOs meet monthly as a group, and we've all agreed that we're not actively advertising in the marketplaces. But I think people are just attracted to the larger prize and, like I said, then it's that snowball effect," Craig said.
The top 20 communities for Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket sales are all in Northern Ontario.
Since the draw's inception in February 2021, a total of over $27 million in prize money has been awarded to 22 residents of the Thunder Bay area, seven residents of Northwestern Ontario, and three people living in Southern Ontario.
Working on the fundraiser, Craig said, is gratifying for more than one reason.
He enjoys making the phone call to the monthly winner, knowing someone's life is about to change for the better.
"Our winner last month was a mental health worker who works in Northern communities, young, starting out, saying he's trying to get a new roof on his house. What a very concrete way of feeling that what we've done has altered their life in, hopefully, a really positive way."
The other reward Craig said he and his staff get from the fundraiser is seeing the difference it's making in the quality of local and regional health care.
"For example, the hospital just needed a new cardiac catheterization lab, which is about $2.1 million. Instead of mounting a campaign for that, we said 'We've got you covered.' So that's it, it's on both ends. It just seems to be a win."
