Global Courant 2023-05-02 20:45:37
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One lucky Blue Jays fan has a winning 50/50 ticket worth over $2.8 million. But the organization leading the draw has no idea who it is.
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Jays Care, the charity arm of the Toronto baseball team, regularly conducts 50/50 draws through every Jays homestand. This year, the group kicked off the season with a “mega jackpot” draw, selling tickets online and during Jays games from March 23 (a week before the season started) to April 30, for two homestands.
The longer time frame, coupled with a strong start to the season – the Jays were 18-11 going into Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox – meant that the jackpot, usually in the neighborhood of $1 million, exploded to nearly three times that amount.
Online ticket purchases required buyers to enter contact details, which would have resulted in the winner receiving a call from sports broadcaster Hazel Mae on Monday with the good news. But the winning ticket was sold in person at Rogers Center at the home opener on April 11, meaning organizers have no idea which of the 42,053 fans it could be.
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Congratulations to our life-changing 50/50 jackpot winner!
We can confirm that the winning ticket was purchased at the stadium on April 11. If you have the winning number, please contact jayscare5050@bluejays.com to claim your prize!
Unofficial winning number below pic.twitter.com/uy2bHiQq5I
— Jays Care Foundation (@JaysCare) May 1, 2023
Jays Care tweeted the winning song and asked the winner to come forward and claim the prize. But other than reaching out through social media, there’s little else they can do.
“If they do not report within six months, the money will be returned to Jays Care,” said a spokesperson for the organization.
Tickets for the next 50/50 draw are now on sale online while the Jays are on the road in Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, continuing through the 10-game homestand that kicks off May 12. The drawing will take place on May 21 and is expected to be worth around $1 million.
Longtime fans will remember that 50/50 draws were cash prizes with tickets sold only at the stadium. “We found that this model made significantly more money as opposed to doing it game by game,” the spokesperson said. “It also adds a lot more tension.” Jays Care uses the money raised for a variety of charitable causes, including building and refurbishing community baseball diamonds, and participation in athletic programs for children and youth.
According to the contest rules, each jackpot is guaranteed $2,500. It adds: “We expect the jackpot to rise much higher than this minimum.” That, of course, is a ballpark estimate.
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