Hospice pins hopes on its 5 Car Draw
Hospice Niagara has given away 50 new vehicles over the past decade through its yearly 5 Car Draw fundraiser.
But something different happened in 2018.
Last year was the first that had one of the winners present when the winning tickets were drawn during Ribfest at Montebello Park, said fund development manager Alicia Merry.
“It just adds to the excitement when somebody is there screaming that they won.”
The agency, which serves all of Niagara providing end-of-life care for clients and their families, will give away five more shiny new vehicles Monday at 6:30 p.m. during Ribfest at the St. Catharines park.
Thirty thousand tickets were printed; about 70 per cent have been sold. Tickets will be sold until Monday, and will be available at Ribfest.
Winners can take the car or its cash value. The vehicles are a Honda Civic LX hatchback or $20,000 cash, Toyota Rav4 LE or $25,000 cash, Mazda MX5 GS convertible or $30,000 cash, Chevy Camaro LT convertible or $40,000 cash, and a Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 or $45,000 cash.
There will also be five bonus $1,000 draws. A $10,000 early bird prize went to a Scarborough ticket holder.
Tickets are $25 each; 5 for $100 or 10 for $175.
It’s a major fundraiser for Hospice Niagara, which has seen use of its programs grow sharply in recent years.
Last year it helped about 3,000 clients, “which was up substantially from the year before.”
“And we expect it to go up another 40 per cent or so this coming year,” said Merry. “That’s just because of the number of people who are aging, and the new programing we have put in place with our transitions coordinator.”
That has made it easier for people all across the region to have access to Hospice Niagara services.
“A lot of people want to die in their own home,” said Merry. “Another thing a lot of people don’t understand about Hospice Niagara is that we help people from the time of their diagnosis, so people could still be receiving treatment with their illness and we’re there to support them.”
To purchase draw tickets or learn more about Hospice Niagara’s contest, visit 5CarDraw.ca.