It will be easy to dream about winning big, but the grand prize winner in the fall edition of the Dream Lottery is likely to have a hard time choosing a prize.
The semi-annual sweepstakes in support of London's hospitals launched Thursday with five grand prize options worth $1 million each. That is up from the usual three choices.
The lucky winner will have their pick of one of two fully furnished luxury homes - one in Kilworth's Edgewater Estates and the other in the Silverleaf community near Lambeth. The 2,335 square foot bungalow in Kilworth is valued at $1.25 million, while the 5,285 square foot Silverleaf home is worth $1.425 million.
If a new home doesn't interest whoever claims the grand prize they could instead pick one of two prize packages. The first is a Lifetime of Adventures Package that includes gift certificates from Precision Powersports, Hiemstra Trailer Sales Ltd., Courtesy Ford, and Xtreme Marine, along with $750,000 cash. The second is a Backyard Makeover Package with gift certificates from TLC Landscaping Design + Pools and $750,000 cash.
And if those four prizes don't suit the winner, there is always the option to take home $1 million in cash instead.
Just like in this past spring's edition of the lottery, there will be no in-person tours of the dream homes. That is to help protect lottery participants from COVID-19.
"We've had to go virtual with our home tours again," said John MacFarlane, president & CEO of the London Health Sciences Foundation. "So the best way to see the homes is to go to dreamitwinit.ca and there is a virtual tour and pictures."
All money raised through the lottery goes to the London Health Sciences Centre, Children’s Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Health Care London.
"Over the years we have been able to purchase all kinds of specialized equipment, be it ultrasound machines or MRIs, but also a lot of money goes into research," said MacFarlane. "People may not realize that we are one of the leading academic institutions in this country and therefore a lot of cutting edge research takes place. Without the dollars raised through this lottery we wouldn't be able to have the kind of health care we have become accustomed to in London."
Since its launch in 1996, the lottery has raised a net total of nearly $42 million for the hospitals.
Tickets for the lottery are only available online or by phone at 519-488-7100. Anyone who purchases a ticket will also be able to get in on the 50/50 draw, which has a guaranteed $250,000 payout. In the spring the 50/50 pot climbed to more than $1.26 million with the winner taking half.
The grand prize and 50/50 winners will be announced on January 7. Unless the lottery sells out early, as it did in the spring, then the prizes will be drawn in December.
