Canucks hoping to set record with next 50/50 draw
The Canucks are on the road for the next three games, but when they return home next week they’re putting cash on the table for charity and hoping fans will respond accordingly.
Their Nov. 27 home game against the Los Angeles Kings — the second of back-to-back games against the Kings as the Canucks are in Los Angeles to play the Kings at Staples Center on Saturday — will feature a 50/50 contest with a jackpot in excess of $1 million, meaning the winner will take home a minimum $500,000 prize.
(If you’ve never participated in a 50/50 draw, the basic premise is the winner takes home half the jackpot and the house keeps the other half with proceeds usually directed to charity.)
The charitable recipients of next week’s contest will be the Canucks Autism Network, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Canucks began sales for the raffle on Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased online at canucks.com/ online5050 or in person at the game at Rogers Arena on Nov. 27. In-game ticket sales close at the end of the second intermission. You must be 19 years old to play.
As ever, the winning number will be announced at the 10-minute mark of the third period.
Winning numbers and amounts are also available on the Canucks website or by calling the 50/50 hotline number at 604-899-7850.
The record jackpot for a 50/50 raffle in Canada was set on April 5, the night of the Sedin twins’ final home game, when the Canucks sold $1,014,555 worth of tickets.
Backed by a donation of $500,000 from Ascend FS, the technology company that provides the system that runs the Canucks’ 50/50 sales, the Canucks are now aiming to beat that total. (And if the total jackpot comes up short of $1 million, the winner is still guaranteed a prize of $500,000.)
“This is an amazing opportunity for us to generate excitement, awareness and significant funds for charity,” Paolo Aquilini, president of the Canucks for Kids Fund, said in a statement. “We have a great opportunity for fans to participate in history with one lucky fan winning a life-changing prize. But more importantly, we have an unprecedented opportunity help children and families across B.C. who need the support.”
According to the Canucks for Kids Fund, they’ve distributed more than $59 million to charitable causes across B.C. over the last 33 years.