The winner of the 2016 Kinsmen Dream Home Lottery will have an enviable dilemma — take the house or $500,000 cash.
Kinsmen will offer the grand prize winner the option of walking away with the cash or taking the home worth $741,930.
Craig Smallwood, dream home chair, said Kinsmen want the winner to get a prize they’re really excited about and sometimes people don’t want to move, especially if they live in another community.
“We just want to appeal to as many people as we can and we want to make it easy for them as well. We don’t want someone to win a house and feel like it’s a burden to sell,” said Smallwood on Friday.
He said the last time cash was offered was in 2008 and the winners, who were dealing with serious medical issues, took the money which helped them a great deal given their situation.
It’s extra work for the club when someone takes the cash, but it’s worth it, he said.
Proceeds from the lottery fund local projects and programs run by different agencies and community groups. Money from the 50-50 draw will go to Red Deer Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity Red Deer Region.
This year 19,500 dream home tickets are available, up from 14,100 last year. The winner of the 50/50 ticket draw will take home $125,000, up from $75,000 last year.
Smallwood said so far 50/50 ticket sales have reached about $50,000, and about dream home tickets are at about $300,000.
“We will hopefully set a record for the most sales in October which is really positive when some of the other lotteries are struggling.”
He said supporting the Dream Home Lottery is what many people choose to do to assist those in need.
“That’s probably why our sales are so strong right now.”
This year Kinsmen Clubs in Innisfail, Ponoka, Lacombe, Rimbey and Camrose are also participating in lottery sales and will benefit by getting a portion of money raised.
Dream home tickets are available one for $100, three for $250 and five for $375. Winning tickets go back into the drum for more chances to win.
The loyalty draw cutoff is Nov. 1 and draw will be held Nov. 4.
The early bird cutoff is Nov. 29 with the draw on Dec. 2. The grand prize draw cutoff is Dec. 31 with the draw held that night.
Tickets for the 50/50 draw are one for $10, five for $25 and 15 for $50.
Tickets can be purchased at the dream home, at 45 Larratt Close, open Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or by calling 403-356-3900, or online at https://reddeerkinsmen.com/dream-home-lottery.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com