Following a spring sell-out, the Dream Lottery is back with two new fully furnished luxury homes, trips, cars, and cash.
The fall edition of the lottery in support of the London Health Sciences Centre, Children’s Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Health Care London kicked off Thursday with the official opening of the dream home at 2397 Meadowlands Way.
The 4,665 sq. ft. two-storey north London home was built by Mike Holmes approved builder Wastell Homes. It features side-by-side kitchens, a yoga studio, and vaulted ceilings. It is valued at more than $1.62-million.
The second dream home, at 54 Edwin Drive, will open to the public next week. Valued at $1.45-million, the 4,130 sq. ft., single-storey home is located in the Highland Green Estates. In addition to fusing traditional exterior design with modern amenities, this home is billed as a tech lovers paradise offering the latest in smart home automation.
The semi-annual sweepstakes' grand prize winner will be able to choose between one of the two luxury homes or $1-million cash.
In a new twist aimed at increasing the odds of winning, the number of secondary prizes being given away daily through the Money and Memories calendar lottery has been doubled from one month to two.
The 50/50 draw has returned with a guaranteed minimum prize of $250,000 and no maximum. The spring edition of the 50/50 reached a record $1-million with the winner taking half.
You have to buy a Dream Lottery ticket in order to get a lottery calendar or 50/50 ticket.
Since its launch in 1996, the lottery has raised a net total of nearly $37-million for London’s three hospitals.
"It's a great community initiative. I think people feel really good that the dollars stay here they don't go anywhere else and that we have real evidence of the impact of this lottery in the kind of health care people experience when they walk through our doors," said Michelle Campbell, president and CEO of St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation.
Campbell noted the lottery has paid for an array of projects over the years.
"At St. Joesph's we wouldn't have a surgical robotic program without the Dream Lottery," said Campbell. "We also have 1,000 in-patient beds, so care and comfort really matters in our organization and this lottery has done things like provide iPads for patients, it has funded music therapy. It has done some very inventive things that our outside the limit of what our hospital operating budget allows."
Out of the last four editions of the lottery, three have sold out.
Tickets are on sale now and will continue to be until December 12. They can be purchased at the dream homes, the participating hospital foundations, participating Shoppers Drug Mart locations in London and St. Thomas, by calling 519-488-7100, or online at www.dreamitwinit.ca.
The draws will be made on January 8 and 9.
