Pownal Minor Hockey Association scores with 50/50 fundraiser as jackpot approaches $100K

The Pownal Minor Hockey Association has scored a winner with its 50/50 fundraiser so much so that other hockey associations across the Island are able to get in on a piece of the action.

The jackpot for the Hi 5 for Kids weekly draw currently has a jackpot of more than $100,000.

"It's grown exponentially, we've had some rollovers in the last couple of weeks, we've had some excitement around the pot," said Randy Cooper, president of the Pownal Minor Hockey Association and chair of Hi 5 for Kids 50/50.

Anticipation around the draw

At the PetroCan in Stratford, clerks are seeing a steady stream of people coming in to get in on the 50/50 draw, some for the first time.

"We get calls on Tuesday morning after the jackpot has been drawn, has it gone? Has it gone?" said clerk Becky Dupuis.

Goal to reduce registration fees

The weekly draw started in 2013 in an effort to deal with rising costs that were pushing up registration fees.

"We took the registration list of all the parents that are involved in Pownal Minor Hockey and we put them in the draw," explained Cooper.

The draw started with about 1,200 people, he said, adding this past week more than 3,400 people entered the draw.

The tickets were initially sold at the rink store and a few gas stations in Stratford.

$2 tickets every week

The cost to play is $2 and all the names went in the draw every week. If the person with the winning ticket hadn't played that week, they were deemed a non-winner and the money rolled to the next week.

Part of the motivation to keep playing, admitted Cooper, was not wanting to see your name on the board as the non-winner.

"You don't have to buy a ticket but you are going to be a beneficiary down the road as the pot grew and money came towards the registration fees."

Draw turning a profit

As the draw has become more successful, the Pownal Minor Hockey Association has recouped the costs of setting up the 50/50 draw itself, and last year, started to turn a profit.

This season, registration fees in Pownal went up by just $10, said Cooper, thanks to about $30,000 from the weekly draws.

"Had we not had this, registration fees would have gone up $30 per player so that would have put it up over five hundred dollars."

He predicts that trend will continue, especially as the number of people playing the weekly 50/50 grows.

Plans to expand

"I can say that this year, we are going to be able to reduce player fees significantly."

Three other minor hockey associations have joined the 50/50

"The future is to expand, we have the infrastructure in place," said Cooper, who's hoping more non-profits and charities, even non-hockey ones, will join the 50/50.

"All it takes is an Internet connection and power and we'll split the proceeds."

'I hope we have a winner'

After a series of non-winners since September 2016, Cooper hopes someone takes home this week's jackpot.

"I think it's going to be very exciting for someone, we're talking almost $50 thousand, maybe more," said Cooper.

"I hope we have a winner."

The draw takes place after 8 p.m. Monday night.

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