Big Brothers Big Sisters Ontario launches province-wide 50/50 lottery to benefit at-risk kids

Posted in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 2 minutes

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS ONTARIO HOLDS FIRST OF ITS KIND,

PROVINCE-WIDE 50/50 LOTTERY TO BENEFIT AT-RISK KIDS

 

The jackpot is already over $120,000 with half going to the winner in 11 days!  

Ottawa, October 6, 2020 – Last month, 40 participating Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) agencies across Ontario announced that provincial government approved a unique single licence to sell 50/50 lottery tickets in their local communities.  The BBBS of Ontario’s “Bigger Together” lottery fundraiser is raising money to support powerful mentoring programs that make a demonstrable difference in the lives of vulnerable children and youth all across Ontario.

Due to the pandemic, the traditional fundraising events BBBS agencies typically host in their communities are impossible at this time but the needs of at-risk children do not stop. “This unique lottery agreement is a real game-changer for us,” said BBBS Ottawa’s Executive Director Susan Ingram. “It means all 40 BBBS agencies can draw on the strength of each other to promote and sell tickets in our individual communities across the province”. It is anticipated that this collective strategy will significantly help these agencies meet their fundraising needs. Currently, the pot is already over $120,000 with half going to the winning ticket holder and the remaining going toward matching at-risk children and youth with nurturing, caring adults.

The winning ticket will be drawn in 11 days.

In every community, BBBS agencies across the province rely on the generous sponsorship and support of local corporate partners and this year is no exception. In this case, Rise Up Strategies not only guaranteed the early bird draw for this special lottery but also seeded the pot with a $5000 donation. In a statement, Rise Up Strategies CEO Adam Smith said that the BBBS mission to enable life-changing mentoring relationships to ignite the power and potential of young people really aligns to his corporate values and purpose. “The opportunity to support a child to rise up into a confident, concerned and motivated young person is truly something amazing”, said Smith.

A 50/50 draw is a lottery for which 50% of the ticket revenue brought in goes to the winning ticket holder and 50% goes to the benefiting charity. All charitable lotteries in the province must be licenced with the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). For the first time, the AGCO has granted 40 separate BBBS agencies across the province a single licence allowing them to offer one shared lottery to fundraise collectively. Traditionally, the Commission only awards one licence per charitable entity.

Ticket purchasers must be 18 years of age to enter and residents within the province of Ontario. Tickets can be bought through the website at: https://bigbrothersbigsistersraffle.5050central.com/Home/SelectTickets

 

For media inquiries:

Joanna Riley
819-329-0580
joanna@riseupstrategies.com

 

Recent Posts
  • Six tips for would-be Charity Start-Ups
    Six tips for would-be Charity Start-Ups
    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Are you considering launching a charity? Before you go "live" on a website or file your CRA paperwork, here are 6 key tips to keep in mind...

  • Top 10 Books
    Top 10 Books
    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    In honour of the Ottawa Public Library and the countless hours of reading enjoyment it has brought to me over the years, I want to share with you the Top 10 Books I enjoyed in 2022.

  • Pandemic funding and Canada’s Charitable Sector:  Looking back and forward with United Way Centraide Canada
    Pandemic funding and Canada’s Charitable Sector: Looking back and forward with United Way Centraide Canada
    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Just a little over six months before a global pandemic was declared, the Government of Canada  announced an Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, with the express purpose of acknowledging and supporting the, “key role [the charitable sector plays in terms of] providing valuable information and services to Canadians.”

  • Is AI taking over?
    Is AI taking over?
    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    The release of ChatGPT, by all accounts, represents a watershed moment, however. When access was opened up to trial public use in late November 2022, users flooded the platform, and terms like “scary good”, “game-changer”, and “mind-blowing” have been flying around with abandon ever since.