A Nova Scotia woman can now call herself a millionaire just before Christmas after winning what is described as the largest 50-50 draw in the history of the province.
Kayla Eldridge from Falmouth, N.S., was awarded $1,467,620 in the third annual Christmas 50-50 draw hosted by Nova Scotia Firefighters 50-50, a non-profit group designed to raise money for fire departments throughout the province by hosting weekly raffles online.
The total jackpot was $2.9 million, with over 200 departments receiving the remaining proceeds from ticket sales following the split.
“We’re running out of words to describe the generosity of Nova Scotians,” said Andrew Wallis, organizer of the event.
“We had a goal yesterday to reward a millionaire as a prize for Christmas and we ended with the largest 50-50 prize in Nova Scotia being awarded last night,” Wallis said Friday.
He said the volunteer fire department in Hantsport will receive an additional $1,000 bonus as the winning ticket was purchased in support of that location.
Wallis said the next upcoming draw is for New Year’s Eve and is expected to raise nearly a million dollars.