The Red Deer Kinsmen Dream Home Lottery is no more after 41 years.
But now people have the chance to win a life-changing $400,000 grand prize in the Kinsmen’s new Lucky Bucks Lottery.
Co-lottery chair Scott Bourke said the costs of building a house were increasing, and more people started asking if they could take cash instead of the house.
“We decided let’s just try giving out some cash,” Bourke said.
Now the winner can spend their prize money on anything, like paying off their mortgage, buying a house, or whatever they want, he said.
“People are okay with the change. Response has been good.”
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He said Kinsmen have been happy with the support the Dream Home Lottery received. Now it’s on to a new lottery with a “twist.”
Twenty Lucky Bucks tickets will be chosen electronically on Jan. 9 and a reverse draw will be held for those 20 finalists on Jan. 19 at Bo’s Bar & Grill.
The 20 tickets will be drawn from a spinning ticket barrel. The first five finalists whose tickets are drawn will each receive $1,000, the next five finalists get $2,500 each, the next five get $5,000 each, the next four get $10,000 each, and the last one standing wins the $400,000 jackpot.
“Everybody will walk away with some money which will be fantastic,” said Bourke, who hopes the 20 finalists will have a family member or friend represent them at the draw if they can’t attend.
He said Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis has never before approved a licence for a lottery that chooses tickets both electronically and manually.
“We weren’t sure we would be able to get it to fly, but we were able to get it to work. We’re pretty excited. It’s going to make that Jan. 19 date a lot of fun.”
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He said Kinsmen are working on ways to get the word out about the lottery since people will no longer be visiting a Dream Home where tickets were sold, in addition to online.
Last Friday members were at the Red Deer Rebels hockey game helping people purchase tickets online and answering questions about the new lottery.
Like the Dream Home Lottery, all the money raised by Lucky Bucks will go to a variety of groups and organizations in the community in need of support.
Ten weekly prizes will also be awarded each Friday until the end of December. On Oct. 27 Leslie Wright, of Red Deer, won $10,000.
The Nov. 3 prize is a Red Deer Rebels ticket package, along with a $500 Rebels gift card and $500 cash.
The ticket purchase cut-off for each weekly prize is 11:59 p.m. the Thursday before the Friday draw.
Tickets are $75 each, five for $150, 25 for $250, and 50 for $300.
The 50/50 cash raffle is also available this year. Tickets are $10 each, five for $25, 20 for $50 and 100 for $100. The draw will be held on Jan. 19.
To buy tickets, or for more information, visit reddeerkinsmen.com, and stay up-to-date on the lottery at www.facebook.com/RedDeerKinsmen.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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