THUNDER BAY – A little extra cash comes in handy any time of year.
Post-Christmas, unexpected money can have even more of an impact as people attempt to pay off credit card bills and other expenses associated with the holiday season.
For three local residents, those cash dreams came true on Friday, when their names were selected during the inaugural Show Me the Money Raffle early-bird draw, capturing the first $1,875 of a planned $100,000 giveaway in support of Our Kids Count and the Kiwanis Club of Westfort.
Jason Molcan took home the top prize of $1,000, while Glen Lindberg grabbed $500 and Amanda Maronese won $375. The tickets of all three winners have been returned to the draw for a shot at future prizes.
Ken Allan said the proceeds will be put to good use.
“The Kiwanis Club does a lot of things in partnership with Our Kids Count,” said Allan, president of the Westfort Kiwanis Club.
“We’ve supported the rent at the Westfort site, which enables programs to take place in that community. We work with them on a community breakfast and also support some of their counseling programs. The funds raised from this draw will enable us to continue on supporting these events, as well as supporting other groups and organizations in the Thunder Bay community that work to make the lives for children better.”
The two organizations intend to hold similar draws on the first Friday of each month, with a $5,000 draw on March 2, a $10,000 draw on June 1, a $20,000 given away on Sept. 1 and the grand prize of $50,000 delivered on Dec. 7.
Nadia Trevisanutto, the development assistant at Our Kids Count, said the money will have a major impact.
“It raises a lot of money for us. It’s a fun way to do it. It’s something new for us and everybody wants to win cash,” Trevisanutto said. “We’ve had a great response from the community. All the proceeds that we raise we’re going to put toward programming, which is building communities in our area.”
Half the money raised will go to the Kiwanis Club, the other half to Our Kids Count.
Tickets are $20 apiece and are available at a number of locations throughout the city, including Daytona’s, Fountain Tire, Half-Way Motors Nissan, Car Star Collision Centre, the Valhalla Inn, Kabab Village, J.B. Evans, Rollason Flowers and Robin’s Donuts.
For a complete list of locations, visit the Our Kids Count website or the Show Me the Money Facebook page.
