The Rotary Club of Grande Prairie’s COVID-19 Rapid Relief Fund has officially finished up with more than $271,000 raised to help to fill the shelves of regional food banks. That’s half of the proceeds of tickets purchased for the Rotary Dream Home Lottery in April.
Between April 20th and 22nd, residents around the region purchased enough tickets to raise another $102,140 for the relief fund. Lottery Manager Kevin Hilgers says it’s a bit shocking, and suggest that the initial goal of $100,000 they set was something they thought was a lofty ceiling.
“We’ve had people that haven’t bought tickets for a few years… people coming back and buying again; it just seems to have inspired people.”
Hilgers adds, despite the sale of lottery tickets now over, they hope to continue along with the Rotary Club to push the rapid relief fund even further.
“We’re just starting to look at, can we carry on with the rapid relief fund? We think so, but we’ll hopefully have something coming out in the coming days to how that would unfold. People do want to help and they’re answering that call; they want to empty their piggy banks because they know people are in need.”
In all, seven food banks received cheques on April 22nd:
Grande Prairie $80,500
Beaverlodge $4,120
Hythe $3,090
Fairview $4,120
Peace River $2,060
Sexsmith $5,160
Wembley $3,090
The Dream Home draw will be 7 p.m. April 24th at the Dream Home in Taylor Estates. However, the public will only be able to view via a live stream online.
