St. Patrick's lottery sells out
Posted Feb 5, 2010 By Sheena Bolton
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EMC News The St. Patrick's Home lottery has sold out for the first time in its history.
Sheena Bolton, Ottawa South EMC
Sarah Thorenton, the Ottawa 2009 Rose of Tralee, drew the early bird winner for the St. Patrick's Home Foundation lottery. For the first time in 20 years the lottery has sold out by the early bird draw.
The announcement of the lottery's success this year was made at the early bird draw, held last week at the Monterey Inn.
"This is amazing because always at our board meetings, when we start the lottery brainstorming, I always set the goal to sell out before the earl bird (draw) and everyone laughs," said Brent Conley, St. Patrick's Home Foundation board member and chairperson of the lottery committee. "This is the first time, in 20 years, it's been done."
All the money raised from the lottery will go to St. Patrick's Home to purchase equipment or pay for renovations.
Marilyn Willms, director of finance at the home, won the $10,000 early bird prize.
Michael O'Byrne, honourary chair of the event, said he has remained involved with the lottery over the years because his grandmother was a resident of St. Patrick's Home.
"Over 20 years my grandmother was a resident of St. Patrick's Home," said Mr. O'Byrne. "My kids are all grown now, 34 and 25 years of age, but as they were growing up, when we were going to go visit Nanny meant we are going to visit her at her home in St. Patrick's Home."
Jennifer Conley, managing director of St. Patrick's Foundation, thanked her handful of volunteers for their tireless efforts. One of the ladies she thanked was Louise Bourbeau, a volunteer with the foundation, who spearheaded the phone campaign. This year, Ms. Bourbeau even succeeded with selling a lottery ticket to a person in Jamaica while on vacation.
More information about St. Patrick's Home can be found at www.stpats.ca.
