The organizers of the Caritas DreamLife Lottery, which raises money for Covenant Health facilities, say the lottery may not be able to support this year’s vital cause because of slower than expected ticket sales.
“If the DreamLife Lottery is not successful, it will have a significant impact on service enhancements and supports for our emergency departments,” Tracy Sopkow, CEO of Covenant Foundation, said in a news release on Tuesday.
At this time last year, the lottery’s organizers also voiced concern over disappointing lottery ticket sales, something they attribute to the continuing economic difficulties facing many Albertans as well as “an increasingly competitive fundraising marketplace.”
Watch below: On Oct. 5, 2016, Kendra Slugoski filed this report about the Caritas DreamLife Lottery and how it was struggling to sell tickets.
Corey Smith, a board member with Covenant Foundation, also expressed his concerns about the numbers in a news release on Tuesday.
“Our emergency departments are among the busiest in the Edmonton region,” he said. “The Grey Nuns’ emergency (department) alone had over 70,000 visits last year – almost triple its intended capacity – and more than any other facility in the region.
“The emergency unit at the Misericordia saw over 50,000 visits, more than double what it was designed to accommodate. These emergency services impact the lives of thousands of patients, residents and their families each and every year.”
This year, the DreamLife Lottery is being used with the aim of raising money for vital hospital emergency services.
Watch below: On Sept. 23, 2017, Covenant Foundation CEO Tracy Sopkow dropped by Global News to talk about the Caritas DreamLife Lottery, which raises money for Covenant Health facilities. This year, the lottery will support vital hospital emergency services.
The final deadline to buy tickets is Oct. 19. For more information, click here.