Hospital lottery dream home winners Sharmane and Lorne Hindbo were in Red Deer to receive.
But they left giving back.
After officially accepting the keys to an $839,900 Sorrento Custom Homes creation on Friday, the owners of Nordegg-area outfitters Ram River Tours said they plan to become prize sponsors for next year.
The Hindbos expect to pull together a package that should prove popular with outdoors types and sports people.
“There’s a few options we can come up with,” said Lorne.
“Pack trips, hunting trips, we’re going to appeal to the sportsmen family.
“We’ll come up with something that’s going to be pretty attractive to a ticket buyer.”
Through their business they also do fly-fishing, horsemanship clinics and run day rides and pack trips about 30 km south of Nordegg on the Trunk Road.
Sharmane said she was in the middle of a kids camp when she got the call on her satellite phone that she had won.
“I honestly had to keep my head space on those kids for two more days. But that first night I didn’t sleep very much.”
She only had sketchy information from the first phone call so it was a couple of days before the reality sank in that she was the winner of a brand spanking new home in Red Deer through the 19th Annual Red Deer Regional Health Foundation Hospitals’ Lottery.
“It’s surreal,” said Sharmane. “It’s an amazing house.”
Located at 105 Larratt Close, the 3,494-square-foot house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
The Hindbos don’t plan to keep it. The money will go to fixing a water well and other improvements back home.
This year, proceeds will fund advanced surface therapeutic beds that provide a higher level of comfort for patients and reduce bed sores.
Currently, Red Deer hospital has nine therapeutic air-cushioned beds in the oncology and palliative wards.
Martin said each bed costs $18,000 and the foundation hopes to purchase about 50 beds.