A lucky Red Deer woman won almost $19,000 in Central Alberta Humane Society’s For the Love of Animals Lottery Monday.
Barb Foret will be getting a first prize cheque for $18,987.50 in the society’s first ever 50/50 lottery.
Margaret Wourms of Sundre won the $1,000 second prize, and Kathy and Rob Kolton of Red Deer will receive the $500 third prize.
Executive director Tara Hellewell said the lottery was a great success.
“We had no idea what to expect, but we sold over 2,000 tickets and raised close to $18,000 for our animals in care,” Hellewell said before the winning tickets were drawn Monday at noon.
The society is 90 per cent funded by donations and self-generated revenue.
The money raised by the lottery will go towards operational costs for the Red Deer shelter, which runs an annual $1.2 million budget.
Hellewell said the society had a great adoption season in December with many animals finding forever homes.
Now that there’s room at the shelter, some people waiting to surrender animals can be contacted.
Right now about 130 animals are in care. Normally there are more than 200, but kitten season will be here soon enough in March and April.
“Kitten season is coming so we’re all prepared because last year’s kitten season was so difficult. We had so many kittens.”
Central Alberta Humane Society’s next fundraising event is Cupcake Day Feb. 23 when people hold their own bake sales to sell cupcakes or other baked goods on behalf of the society.
In 2017, more than $20,000 was raised from Cupcake Day.
Posters are available upon request, and the society can send participants artwork for social media campaigns to promote their bake sales.
Donations will be tallied from participants, and the society will announce the grand total raised for its animals.
“It’s the tastiest day of the year for our animals in care,” Hellewell said.
To register visit cahumane.com.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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