Giving back has never felt so good: CHEO 50/50 Draw supports kids’ health

Everyone who buys a ticket for the CHEO 50/50 draw dreams of winning the grand prize, but the real winner are the kids who need the best medical care in the world.

Last year, the hospital treated 500,000 patients aged newborn and performed 7,000 surgeries for congenital abnormalities, cancer and other serious health issues affecting children.

And that don’t come cheap.

So, the CHEO Foundation is generating excitement as well as some much-needed revenue with it’s spring fundraiser, the 50/50 Lottery, where half the money raised goes to the winning ticket holder and the other half goes to CHEO.

People across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario love their lotteries. The CHEO Foundation added the 50/50 lottery to their spring calendar after last fall’s CHEO Dream House Lottery proved to be a huge success. The Foundation also hosts the CN Cycle for kids with cancer in the summer and the CHEO Telethon in the fall.

“We’re offering something for every budget,” said Steven Read, CHEO Foundation CEO told CityNews host Sam Laprade on April 12. “Events like the 50/50 is how we’re able to keep going because the community is so supportive.”

Ticket packages begin at $25 for 10 tickets, $50 for 30, $100 for 100 and $175 and top out at 200. Tickets are currently for sale on the website www.cheo5050.ca The deadline to buy tickets is midnight, Friday, April 28.

So far, the CHEO 50/50’s raised nearly $600,000 and the Foundation hopes to top $2-million when they host the draw on May 3.

As the Foundation’s chief officer, Read says one of his favourite responsibilities is calling the winner to tell them they won.

“It’s a strange feeling to know that you’re going to change someone’s life with news of a Dream Home or 5050 win. It’s a fun part of the job, but we hope everyone who buys a tickets to support CHEO feels like a winner.”