Keys handed over to Red Deer Hospital Dream Home Lottery winners
The grand prize winners of this year’s Red Deer Hospital Lottery have received the keys to a new dream home.
But it won’t be a long stay at the home, in Red Deer’s Evergreen neighbourhood, as the winning family plans on selling the house.
“We do currently have an acreage,” said lottery winner Ryan Hudema, who lives in Ponoka with his wife Cheri and family.
The money the family will receive for selling the home will help create plenty of financial comfort, especially “in today’s day and age,” he added.
For Hudema, buying a ticket wasn’t just about potentially winning a prize. It was also about supporting the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
“When you go to the hospital and you see what’s going on in there, and the different things that everybody has to go through while in there, it makes you want to give at least a little bit,” he said.
“If us buying a ticket helped us alleviate one problem, that would’ve be more than enough of a prize. They do so much for everybody else there.”
Proceeds from the 2023 Hospital Lottery and Mega Bucks 50 will provide for critically needed equipment for several units at the hospital.
In addition to the Hudema family receiving the keys to the $1.1-million dream home during a presentation at the house on Thursday, the winners of the Mega Bucks 50 – June and Ralph Melnick – also received a cheque worth $303, 382.50.
The winner of the 2022 Xtreme Outdoors Mini MAX Trailer – Jory Meneer-Foster, of Wainwright – was not available on Thursday to take part in the presentation.
Manon Therriault, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation CEO, said it’s always exciting to hand the prizes over to the winners.
“This type of event isn’t just about the house, it’s about all of the other prizes,” said Therriault.
“There are some occasional ups and downs when it comes to things that go on with the economy, but at the end of the day, we still see overwhelming support from our community year after year.”
Construction will soon begin on the dream home that will be up for grabs in the 2024 Red Deer Hospital Lottery.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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