Two friends from Roches Point near Keswick are celebrating after winning over $23,000 in the Sept. 19 Ontario-wide Split the Pot Lottery grand prize draw. The winners, who purchased their ticket in support of Southlake Regional Health Centre, were stunned to find they were one of 13 grand prize winners in the lottery.
“I got the call and couldn’t believe it! I was doing the happy dance,” said Krista Reeves, who received the news that she and close friend Kim had won. After receiving the message she quickly called her friend of 13 years with whom she had bought the tickets, according to a Southlake Foundation news release.
“I didn’t think it was real,” said Kim.
The friends are grateful recipients of care at Southlake. Kim found herself in Southlake’s emergency department after her husband broke his ribs moving boxes during their first week in Roches Point. Krista received treatment for cancer at Southlake’s Regional Cancer Centre during the pandemic.
“Southlake saved my life. Going through cancer treatment during COVID was stressful but the staff were so compassionate,” said Krista.
“We’ve both been blessed to be able to come to Southlake and the staff are incredible,” said Kim. It’s that care that inspired the friends to support Southlake, one of 69 participating hospitals in the provincial lottery.
Tickets are on sale now for the current Split the Pot Lottery until the final ticket deadline at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 27. Weekly early bird draws and over 40 possible winners leading up to the grand prize draw give participants a variety of chances to win. Southlake supporters made up two early-bird prize winners and a grand prize draw winner in the last lottery alone.
Thirteen winners will split the final payout of this current lottery – estimated to grow to $1.2 million.
Split the Pot Lottery supports community health care in Ontario, with 69 hospital partners across the province — the largest collaborative hospital fundraising initiative of its kind in the country (licensed by Grand River Hospital Foundation). Proceeds from every ticket sold can either be split among participating Ontario hospitals or be directed to a participating hospital of choice, like Southlake.
“Supporting our hospital is the right thing to do. We know it’s a good cause and it means we’re going to get better care, closer to home,” say Krista and Kim.
To purchase your tickets in support of Southlake, click here and choose ‘Southlake’ as your designated hospital.
