Local couple claims Elks lottery grand prize
Derris and Judy White from Swift Current had an envious decision to make after winning the grand prize in the Saskatchewan Elks Children’s Charity Lotteries.
The couple had to decide between driving home a new Dodge or Ford truck, pocketing $1,000 a week for a year, or taking a lump sum $50,000 payout. After some discussion the White’s decided to take the $50,000 prize.
“We’ll just pay off some debt, and more than likely upgrade some vehicles.” Derris White said just before collecting the grand prize. “We’re going to be debut free for the first time in 36 years of marriage.”
When he initially received the phone call telling him of his prize win, he was obviously skeptical.
“I thought I was being punked,” he laughed. “I was trying to guess whose voice was on the phone because I didn’t believe it.”
Any doubts were fully erased this past Thursday when Chris Svab, Saskatchewan Elks Provincial President, presented the couple the grand prize cheque for $50,000.
Svab admitted that as the tail end of ticket sales were held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some anxious moments as the draw date drew nearer.
“We couldn’t have picked a worse year to kick this thing off with COVID. We had been working on it for three or four years, and taking the gamble to go with it. When we finally did decide to do it last year, COVID wasn’t even heard of,” Svab said. “It was a lot of worries…i think that everything that could go wrong did go wrong when that disease arrived.”
Overall, the fundraiser was a modest success, lending support to the national Elks Fund For Children as well as keeping some for provincial charitable giving.
“I think considering the disease, the economy, we may not have done as well as we could have, but we did better than we thought we might at some point in the game. It was looking pretty grim a few times. But people of Saskatchewan are really good.”
Svab said the lottery was a success thanks to the work of the 55 lodges across the province who were all promoting it at their local level.
He pointed out that buying a ticket for an Elks lottery is an easy decision for most supporters. All you have to do is look at an Elks Playground or an Elks Hall to see some of the benefits Elks have made in the communities they serve.
Elks have been in existence in Canada since 1912, and they continue to build on their long legacy.
The Southwest produced a number of winners in the lotteries.
Mych Soron from Swift Current was one of five second place winners of $2,000.
Jeff and Allison Slabik from Gull Lake along with Ron Duscherer of
Prelate collected one of three third place prizes of $1,500.
Hodgeville’s Sandy Krauchek was one of three fourth place prize winners of $1,000.