BY BILL PHILLIPS
The first early bird draw in this year’s Prince George Hospice Dream Home Lottery really is an early bird draw.
The grand prize, a $570,000 house on Larisa Court in the Nechako View subdivision, will be open to the public for viewing Friday, September 15. And, the first early bird draw – a lawn care package including a trimmer, self-propelled lawnmower, and wheeled edger – will be drawn on Friday. So, those early birds who have purchased tickets early, will have good chance of winning.
The Dream Home Lottery is Prince George Hospice’s major fund raiser of the year.
“We need to raise $1.3 million per year and that increases every year,” said Donna Flood, Hospice’s executive director. “When I started three years ago needed to raise $800,000. Northern Health contributes about 43 per cent of our budget, we have to fund raise the rest.”
The lottery raises about 18 per cent of the funds needed for Hospice over the course of the year. To realize that 18 per cent, they need to sell all 9,999 tickets printed.
“We actually buy the house, so the first three-quarters of the tickets go into paying for the house and paying that bill,” said Flood. “It’s the last tickets that are really the profit that we make. The fund raising dollars at the end so selling out is really, really important for us.”
There are three early bird draws. In addition to the lawn care package draw Friday, there will be a draw for a barbecue package consisting of a Black Olive Charcoal Grill and accessories on October 20 and a draw for a package consisting of a two-night stay in the presidential suite at the Coast, including two breakfasts and a dinner at Winston’s, on November 17.
And, if you win one of the early bird draws, your ticket goes back in the barrel for the dream home draw on December 1.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful house,” said Flood. “It’s got contemporary colours, it’s a gorgeous house. The Canadian Homebuilders Association of Northern B.C. got the project together and Rise Construction was the project manager for the house. The house is completely finished. It’s a rancher, four bedrooms, three bathrooms. The basement has a rec room, wine room, and a den.”
With the draw December 1, you don’t have much time to get your ticket, especially if you want a chance at one of the early bird draws.
“This is a last-minute town, so this lottery is a last minute lottery,” said Flood. “Don’t wait, buy your ticket.”
Prince George Hospice also has another fund raiser coming up, the Bucket List Gala on September 22 at the Civic Centre. Tickets are $85.
It runs in conjunction with their Facebook page – Bucket List PG.
“We thought long and hard about what is the change we want to make within the community,” she said. “It’s about pausing and doing what you need to do because by the time you come to us, it’s too late.”
On the page people are encourage to list their bucket list items. The beauty of the page is that others who read the page often pitch in to help others check some items off their bucket list.
“We wanted the community to really starting thinking about it and, as a community, have people really start working towards helping each other.”
The Bucket List Gala will be an evening event with Ben Nemtin, who is a motivational speaker from MTV’s The Buried Life.
When you buy a ticket, you get to list three bucket list items with your A-list item being the top. At the gala someone will be granted their A-list item.
It should be a wonderful evening.
“This is our foundational year,”said Flood. “I think it will be one of many.”
