After 7 weeks of ticket sales and tremendous support from across Chatham-Kent, the winning ticket number for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation’s (CKHAF) 2023 Igniting Healthcare 50/50 FUNdraiser was drawn on Wednesday, July 12th at 1pm at the office of AgriRoots Capital Management Inc., located at 785 St Clair St in Chatham. This year’s fundraiser raised a grand total of $282,580, significantly exceeding last year’s total. On Thursday, local business owner John Schinkel of Chatham was awarded the 50/50’s $141,290 jackpot!
“I buy tickets for this 50/50 every year, but I certainly never expected that I would actually win it. I’ve always looked at it as a donation and an easy, fun way to give back in support of the Foundation and our local hospital,” John said when we stopped by the Foundation to pick up his grand prize cheque. “I was in complete shock after I learned that I had won and, to be honest, I’m still having a hard time believing it now.”
John has been a longstanding supporter of the Foundation and local healthcare, both personally and professionally, as President and Owner of Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats in Chatham. He is an active member within our community, including through his long-time role as a member of the Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise.
While John purchased several tickets throughout the campaign, it was the last $75.00 ticket that he purchased online on Tuesday, July 11th that ultimately contained the lucky winning ticket number
CK-2434927.
This marks the fifth consecutive year in which the Igniting Healthcare 50/50 FUNdraiser has awarded a jackpot in excess of $100,000. Since its inception in 2019, the fundraiser has raised a grand total of $1,442,880, with half of those funds paid out to the winners, and the other half used to purchase life-saving equipment for Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA).
Proceeds from this year’s 50/50 will support the purchase of a new Sterrad Unit for Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA). This unit utilizes hydrogen peroxide gas plasma to sterilize medical equipment rather than traditional steam. This will lead to decreased sterilization turnaround times, and help to prolong the life of vital medical equipment at CKHA.
“On behalf of the Foundation, I want to congratulate John on his huge win, and express my sincere thanks to this amazing community for the strong and unwavering support that this 50/50 received once again this year,” says Christine Colautti, President and CEO of CKHAF. “Throughout the campaign, we talked to so many people who clearly understood the importance of fundraisers like this to support our local hospital. The money that we’ve raised together over the past seven weeks will have a profound impact on healthcare in Chatham-Kent for years to come.”
CKHAF was proud to have the support of MCH Homes once again for this year’s fundraiser. As a strong supporter of this 50/50 since the very beginning, MCH Homes has been integral to the campaign’s success in raising funds to support the purchase of life-saving hospital equipment over the past five years.
“As a Foundation, we serve as the link between our community and its hospital, so the support of strong community partners like MCH Homes means the world to us because it allows our Foundation to thrive,” states Bob Hockney, Chair of the CKHAF Board of Directors. “Over the past five years, this 50/50 has raised funds to support the purchase of some really vital, life-saving equipment at CKHA, and this simply would not be possible without the support of MCH Homes.”
For the first time ever, this year’s Igniting Healthcare 50/50 FUNdraiser also included three Early Bird draws, with great prizes that were awarded throughout the campaign. Janice Mardling of Chatham was the lucky winner of the first Early Bird draw on June 2nd, winning a $1,000.00 cash prize donated by Chorley + Bisset Ltd. Terry and Tom Bonnell of Ridgetown won the second Early Bird draw held on June 16th, taking home a Broil King Keg Smoker donated by Chatham-Kent Home Hardware Building Centre. Timothy Badder of Thamesville was the winner of the third Early Bird draw on June 30th, and he was rewarded with a Pelican Magna 1-Person Kayak donated by Canadian Tire Wallaceburg.
John now joins the list of past 50/50 winners that includes Bert Vanderheide of Blenheim, Emily Geroux of Highgate, life-long friends Rick De Marse, Paul Ballay, and James Desjardins of Tecumseh, and Mike Veres of Chatham.
This year’s 50/50 launched on Wednesday, May 24th, with ticket sales available online at www.ignite5050.ca and in-person at the CKHAF office, as well as various pop-up locations throughout Chatham-Kent.
Igniting Healthcare 50/50 FUNdraiser (License No. RAF1307482) was licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and conducted in accordance with AGCO-approved rules that can be found on the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation (CKHAF) website at ckhaf.ca. The draw was made using Random Number Generation (RNG) – a proven technology approved by the AGCO. Ascend Fundraising Solutions provided the technical and systems expertise for sales, accounting, and the draw.
