Making adjustments
Firefighters 50-50 raffle a godsend during COVID
The Nova Scotia Firefighters 50-50 weekly raffle has been a godsend to fire departments struggling with losing most or all of their fundraising opportunities because of pandemic restrictions.
The Amherst Firefighters Association decided prior to the pandemic that traditional fundraisers such as bingos and dances were losing their appeal, particularly with the younger generation.
That reality, and the onset of COVID in early 2020, prompted association members to find a more effective way to raise funds. The timing actually proved to be fortuitous, as fundraising throughout the province was about to take a massive hit.
Raffle co-ordinator Andrew Wallis said during an interview that association members agreed some sort of 50-50 raffle should be pursued, and the Rafflebox online platform would be the perfect way for the association to run it efficiently, not only in Amherst, but in all regions of the province.
Wallis said only eight fire departments participated in the first raffle on June 4, 2020, but that number climbed over time to 263, nearly all the departments operating in the province. The raffle has become a significant — almost guaranteed — source of income for participants.
When people buy tickets, they indicate which fire department they support. The fire departments receive 36 per cent of those ticket proceeds, and if one of their supporters wins the raffle, the department also receives
a $1,000 bonus. Ticket prices are $5 for one, $10 for three, $20 for 20 and $50 for 100.
“The growth has been extraordinary. In addition to fire departments, other fire-related organizations participate as well, such as Nova Scotia Firefighters Burn Treatment Society, Nova Scotia Firefighters Benevolent Fund, and Halifax Fire Pipes and Drums,” said Wallis, who has served as a volunteer with the Amherst Fire Department for 22 years and is currently a lieutenant.
Wallis said more than $4 million was returned to the fire departments and other participating organizations during the first year of operating the popular raffle.
“It always amazes me that there are several weeks where we give away more money than Lotto MAX, and our winner is always from Nova Scotia. We are the number-one customer for Rafflebox in North America and we’re the largest weekly 50-50 raffle in Canada,” he said.
“Ironically, COVID is the reason the raffle is so successful. We wouldn’t have been driven to the Rafflebox fundraiser if it hadn’t been for the pandemic. And the public, who spend a lot of time at home these days, wouldn’t have been as open and willing to purchase tickets online,” he added.
LARGEST RAFFLE PRIZE
The largest prize to date is $878,000, won by an Eastern Passage family in December. The South Shore is home to a few winners, including a Bridgewater resident who won $136,745 last August.
“There are more winners in the Halifax area because of its population, but the winners are generally spread out across the province — tip to tip from Yarmouth to northern Cape Breton.
The raffle has changed people’s lives,” said Wallis, a correctional officer with Correctional Service Canada.
Any product with the word “fire” in its description is going to be expensive to purchase, so fire departments are using their share of raffle funds to buy such items as personal protective equipment, extrication tools, breathing apparatus, rescue gear, or to pay down loans on fire halls and trucks.
Moyal Conrad, chief of the Greenfield and District Fire Department in Queens County, said the raffle has been a lifesaver for his department, where he has been a volunteer firefighter for 32 years.
“It’s like getting a regular paycheque. It’s been our only source of fundraising income for the past year or so. When COVID hit hard, we had to close our community hall, and it’s still closed. Our breakfasts, planked salmon suppers and other popular events were cancelled,” said Conrad.
“We have a new pumper/ rescue ordered, but like many other things these days, delivery has been delayed. Meanwhile, we are using the funds from the raffle to purchase equipment that will be used on the new truck, including fittings and new SCBAS (self-contained breathing apparatus),” he said.
“The SCBAS we have now will need to be replaced during the next couple years. They are really expensive, so the money we get from the raffle will really help. We are also buying a bunch of much-needed medical first responder stuff as well,” he added.
Doug Rines, chief of the Chester Basin Fire Department, echoed Conrad’s sentiments.
“Breakfasts and fish-andchip suppers used to be big events for us, but they were cancelled because of COVID. But we make more from the 50-50 raffle than we did from our breakfasts,” said Rines.
“And we are not tying up resources running those events anymore, which allows us to spend more time on practices and training, improving our firefighting and emergency response skills,” he said.
“We recently purchased a new TIC (thermal imaging camera), which cost $18,000, and we bought a combination drill kit for taking chimneys apart when we respond to chimney fires, and other useful tools. Our surplus TIC was donated to the Walden Volunteer Fire Department in Lunenburg County,” he added.
“Ironically, COVID is the reason the raffle is so successful...” Andrew Wallis
MAKING ENDS MEET
As the fire chief in Walden, Melanie Langille knows how difficult it is for small rural departments to make ends meet, a daunting task made easier thanks to the 50-50 raffle.