Nikki Pearson was about to go for a training bike ride when there was a knock at the front door. Waiting for her were two staff members from the University Hospital Kingston Foundation (UHKF) and the surprise news that she had won the August jackpot in the UHKF 50/50 lottery – a total of $19,340!
 

“My jaw just about fell on the floor,” says Nikki Pearson. “I’m still in shock! You don’t enter these things expecting to win, you do them to support the cause. But it actually happened. It’s quite surreal!”

Administered by UHKF and licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, UHKF 50/50 lottery is a monthly online raffle where individuals purchase tickets for the opportunity to win 50 per cent of the total money raised through the sale of 50/50 tickets.

Nikki entered the UHKF 50/50 because she wanted to give back to local health care after her husband, Todd, had quadruple bypass surgery at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) in May. An angiogram had discovered the main artery to Todd’s heart was 100 per cent blocked.

“Now Todd is at a point where he’s himself again and everything is wonderful, I think how differently it could have turned out,” says Nikki. “Fortunately, he had great people at the hospital and the care we received was absolutely incredible…From the doctors to the nurses to the cleaning staff to the men and women who brought the food trays, they were all so kind and wonderful. And Todd came out of it with a new lease on life.”

Since the fundraiser began in June, more than $65,000 has been won through the UHKF 50/50.

“I don’t know what we will do with the winnings yet but, of course, we will give some back,” says Nikki. “I just think the UHKF 50/50 lottery is a fantastic idea. It certainly helps the hospitals and I think it’s accessible for most people. It’s easy to think that only giving thousands of dollars will make a difference but, truly, every dollar counts.”

Ticket sales for the September UHKF 50/50 early bird and jackpot draw are now open! Tickets are only available online at uhkflottery.ca.

The deadline to buy tickets for the September grand prize jackpot is Thursday, September 30, 2021 at noon. The September early bird prize, sponsored by HDR Inc., is $500. The deadline to buy tickets for the early bird draw is Thursday, September 16, 2021 at noon.

Funds from the UHKF 50/50 lottery fundraiser will support much-needed equipment, programs, education, healthcare facilities, and research at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Providence Care, benefitting patients and their families.

Watch the jackpot grow at uhkflottery.ca.

Lottery License Number: RAF 1206801