Welwyn’s Judi Johnston wins Rocanville Lucky Lottery grand prize
Highest 50/50 since fundraiser has returned
October 8, 2024, 1:06 pm
Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Rocanville Lucky Lottery drew for its grand prize on Saturday, September 28.
Winning this year’s big $100,000 cash prize was Judi Johnston of Welwyn—no stranger to the fundraiser as she’s one of the many volunteers who helps make the event such a success each year.
“Our grand prize winner every year has come and answered phones for us and helped out during our radio blitzes,” says board chair Kirby Fowler, adding with a laugh, “I can’t promise that we pay all our volunteers that way!”
Winning $5,200 in Co-op gift cards was Tanya Simard of St. Lazare, and Lynette Williams from Esterhazy received the $5,000 travel voucher. There were four $1,000 cash prizes, with Chantelle and Mark Den Brok of Esterhazy, Donald Murray from Punnichy, Julie Bell of Welwyn, and Monte Taphorn from Yorkton each having their names drawn.
In addition, five $500 prizes were drawn, going to Rick and Deenie Goulden of Rocanville, Deb and Duane Kitzan from Theodore, Ko Goeree of Yorkton, Ethel Belhumeur from Welwyn, and Jordan Kingdon of Tantallon.
This year’s 50/50 draw rose to the largest amount since the Lucky Lottery was rejuvenated three years ago. Stan Smith of Yorkton held that lucky ticket, becoming $41,880 richer.
“Since we started up again three years ago, that’s our biggest one,” Fowler said of the prize. “We adjusted the 50/50 and we upped our upper limits, just to make it easier for us on record keeping, we didn’t sell out our 50/50 by any means.”
Organizers were happy with ticket sales, which ended up being about average compared to previous years.
“Our ticket sales were good—not as good as our first year, but better than last year,” Fowler said. “We lowered our costs this year on some of our advertising. We brought some costs down, so we should be donating more back to the community than we did last year.”
Last minute purchasers accounted for more than $3,000 in walk up ticket sales on the night of the draw.
“Ticket sales were good, volunteers were incredible—we couldn’t run this thing without the volunteers—they’re priceless to us, and minor hockey for putting on the event (a steak supper and hat auction) where we made the draws was absolutely phenomenal, it helps us out, it helps them out. It’s really good,” Fowler said. “I cannot explain the amount of stress that there is waiting for that ‘break even’ point; to cross that break even point and know that you’re finally making money. It was a stressful week last week for the entire committee!”
The purpose of the Rocanville Lucky Lottery is to support local recreation groups to ensure those activities continue for future generations. Donation amounts will not be known for a few months to allow for all final costs to be accounted for, but Fowler advises local groups to begin formulating their requests.
“Once we finalize what we brought in, we will ask for requests from all the groups and they tell us what they’re planning on doing, and we decide where we can help,” he said. “Pretty much anybody that asks gets something, they might not get their full ask, but they get something.”
Groups can be creative with their requests, including equipment and related costs with running a program. The last lottery saw $35,500 distributed to Rocanville recreation groups.
As for any future changes to the fundraising formula, Fowler anticipates plans will remain the same for next year’s edition of the lottery.
“I think the price format was well received this year with the changes we made to that, and we’ll just have to see what the profits are like,” he said.
Johnston thrilled with her win
Despite helping out with the Lucky Lottery and supporting it by buying tickets over the years, grand prize winner Judi Johnston from Welwyn says she never expected to win.
“Years ago Rocanville Lucky Lottery ran several years in a row raising money for a new arena, and I was always on the volunteer committee answering phones,” she said. “This is the third year for it to have started again, so I’m a phone answerer when the blitz is on and I contribute to whatever other fundraisers they might do to get things going. I like to be involved whenever they need me.
“It was just kind of stunning,” she says of receiving the winning phone call on Saturday night. “All of us, we buy tickets on lotteries, local lotteries, bigger lotteries, and joke about what we are going to do when we win, knowing that we are likely never going to win. So it is a little bit of a shock when you get a phone call that you have won one of these lotteries.
“I just feel really good about it.”
She says she doesn’t know yet what she plans to do with her winnings.
“I’m thinking a few things over, but we live on a farm with a large yard so it’s not hard to spend it. And of course I’ll continue to support all the local fundraisers, and a little further out of my community as well. It will be my backup to keep going.
“It takes the province to put something like this together—we get phone calls and ticket sales from everywhere. There’s so much support to small town lotteries as well as the big ones. I just think that everyone should support something that’s close to your heart and you just never know, someone has to win every time, and the next one could be you, so you should always keep supporting.”
