The popularity of the Health Sciences North (HSN) 50/50 cash lottery was in evidence this week when the monthly take-home prize hit more than $1 million. And the draw itself is still more than a week away.
This is the largest-ever jackpot in the two-and-a-half year history of the fundraiser,l which is based on hospital supporters buying draw tickets and when the month-end draw is held the proceeds of ticket sales are split on a 50-50 basis.
Previous to this, the largest ever jackpot was $914,855 which was won in May of 2021, said a news release from the HSN Foundations office.
Since it began, the lottery has raised more than $14.5 million to support the highest-priority needs of HSN through the work of the local foundations; the HSN Foundation, the NEO Kids Foundation, the Northern Cancer Foundation, and the HSN Volunteer Association.
The same amount of money, $14.5 million, has also been awarded as prize money to lucky winners across Sudbury and beyond – a win-win for everyone, said the Foundations office in a news release.
The importance of the draw is that the money is used to buy and replace much-needed health related devices and equipment.
Funds raised to date have helped purchase much-needed equipment, which so far has included:
- Breast vacuum biopsy system for breast screening and assessment service.
- Two infant incubators for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
- Fleet of defibrillators for the Emergency Department and other critical areas.
- Two colonoscopes for use in Endoscopy and Minor Procedures.
- Two Drager Jaundice Meters to streamline screening practices for NEO Kids Program.
- Two Exera Video Processors and Light Sources for the Shirley and Jim FieldingNortheast Cancer Centre to allow head and neck cancer surgeons to more accurately
- evaluate the effects of cancer treatment
- Six dialysis chairs for the Nephrology department.
- A second “Hana” surgical table designed for use in the anterior hip replacement procedure.
- New laser for the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgical team used to perform a procedure on patients with an inherited condition called otosclerosis, which causes
- deafness.
- 10 “Nara” bassinets used to help keep newborn babies safe and designed to improve visibility and interaction from the bedside.
- An O-Arm which is a portable CT scanner that can be used within the operating room to get real-time information.
The HSN foundations office said the success of the HSN 50/50 lottery is due to the tremendous support of people living in communities across the North
"Every day, patients rely on quality health services at HSN and the lottery is playing a vital part in ensuring that they receive the care they need, close to home," said the office.
Residents 18 and older may purchase HSN 50/50 draw tickets online for their chance to win. The deadline to purchase tickets for the December draw is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 29 th , 2022. The jackpot-winning ticket will be drawn on Friday, December 30 th at 10:00 a.m. and posted online at www.hsn5050.ca.
There is still bonus draw that will be held on Dec. 22:
- $25,000 Bonus Cash Draw Dec. 22 at 11:59 p.m., winner revealed Dec. 23 at 10 a.m..
- December Jackpot Draw Dec. 29 at 11:59 p.m., winner revealed Dec. 30 at 10 a.m.
