Another virtual 50/50 raffle is coming to Edmonton. This time it’s being hosted by the EE Football Team and is going to support the Winnifred Stewart Association’s Joey Moss Memorial Fund.
The Edmonton sports legend died on Oct. 26 at the age of 57. In a statement, the Moss family said Joey passed away peacefully with his family at his side.
Moss worked as the dressing room attendant for the football team — as well as the Edmonton Oilers — for 35 years and was a regular feature at Commonwealth Stadium.
The 50/50 will be part of the Edmonton football team’s virtual Grey Cup celebration. On Nov. 22, fans will be able to purchase tickets on the team’s website starting at 10 a.m. MT. Ticket sales will close at 8 p.m. that day.
President and CEO Chris Presson appeared on 630 CHED Mornings on Friday to make the announcement after hinting the team was working on ways to honour Moss the week before.
“This is one of those large ideas that I mentioned last week that I couldn’t let out of the bag yet because we didn’t have approval,” he said. “But it’s something that should move the needle not only now, but well into the future as well.”
There was a massive outpouring of support after Moss died, with athletes from all sports praising his hard work ethic, infectious personality and desire to make his city better.
Sue Gilchrist is the CEO of the Winnifred Stewart Association, which is the organization the Moss family directed to handle the memorial fund.
She said they were overwhelmed when they found out about the raffle.
“We were just stunned and overwhelmed at their generosity and that they would think of honouring Joey’s legacy in such an incredible way,” she said. “To be partnered with them on something like this is just an incredible opportunity. Far more than we expected.”
Moss had Down’s syndrome and spent a lot of his time advocating for others living with the genetic disorder.
“We want to continue to advocate for those with developmental disabilities in Alberta, while certainly keeping Joey’s name and flame burning bright,” Presson said.
The memorial fund will be put toward efforts to not only create opportunities for those with developmental disabilities find employment or explore entrepreneurship, but it will also go toward creating a marketing campaign to encourage businesses to see the value that comes from hiring someone with developmental disabilities.
“For a charity the size of ours, this is monumental for us,” Gilchrist said. “This could be the single largest fundraiser that we’ve ever had. It probably will be the single largest fundraiser that we’ve ever had in 66 years of operation.”
The winning number is expected to be announced no later than 6 p.m. on Nov. 23.
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