When we expanded our successful Sunshine Coast Seniors Online 50/50 Lottery this year into the BC Seniors Online 50/50, some members wondered whether bringing other seniors centres into the lottery would mean our support and our fundraising income would be diluted. The opposite has happened! By inviting seniors centres from across British Columbia to become partners, SSAC has created a larger and more exciting lottery while improving the financial benefit to our Centre.
Tickets sold in support of SSAC benefit SSAC, while partner centres only receive the proceeds generated through sales designated to them. SSAC holds the BC Gaming licence and administers the lottery, while participating centres help promote and sell tickets in their communities.
There is an important lesson we have learned: 50/50 tickets sell extremely well when we get out into the community! We just need more volunteers to get out there. A great example is Cathy Gates and Barb Poole, who recently sold more than $1,000 worth of tickets in just two hours outside the Independent grocery store. That is a remarkable return for two hours of volunteering, and it demonstrates just how much people like supporting seniors and also, how big the potential sales could be with more outside sales opportunities.
Canadians love 50/50 draws, and they like knowing that their purchase helps a good cause in their own community. The challenge is simply having enough volunteers to staff our tables. Could you give us two hours? We urgently need outgoing, friendly volunteers who can spend two hours a month selling BC Seniors 50/50 tickets in teams at locations such as shopping malls, pubs and the Independent grocery store. The handheld ticket machines are easy to use and you don’t need to be a salesperson. You just need to be comfortable approaching people, explaining the lottery and inviting them to support seniors. There is something particularly satisfying about this volunteer job: you can see the fundraising results of your efforts. SSAC receives 35% of the ticket sales generated for our Centre, so when you sell $1000 worth of tickets, you know that your shift has helped generate $350 for the SSAC Affordable Lunch Program.
It therefore seemed so appropriate in June, when SSAC Kitchen volunteer Kathryn C. won the $5,755 jackpot. Our affordable hot lunches and frozen entrées help seniors access nutritious food while dealing with rising food costs and, for some, the challenges of cooking for themselves. The demand for these services continues to grow, making fundraising more important than ever.
Our partner in the BC Seniors Online 50/50, the Mackenzie Seniors Centre, has experienced the same enthusiasm. Mackenzie’s lottery coordinator, Ester Sarkozy-Lee, explained that a dedicated team regularly sells tickets at the Mackenzie Mall. While selling tickets, volunteers also promote the Centre’s programs and recruit new members.
As Ester put it, “The BC Seniors Online 50/50 is a win-win for our society and the community.” That grassroots approach demonstrates that the lottery can do more than raise money. It gives seniors centres an opportunity to get out into their communities, meet people, promote their programs and build stronger connections.
Our vision is bigger than SSAC. The BC Seniors Online 50/50 is still in its early stages, but the response has been extremely encouraging. We hope to attract more seniors centres for the 2027 lottery, creating a province-wide network with larger jackpots, greater participation and stronger fundraising opportunities for seniors’ centres throughout British Columbia.
But right now, SSAC needs YOU! Tickets sell easily. What we need are the volunteers to get out there and sell them. If you are outgoing, enjoy meeting people and can spare two hours a month we would love to have you on the team. Please email Alison at and let her know whether you are interested in volunteering with the 50/50 Lottery outside sales. She will get back to you with more information.
And if you can’t volunteer, you can still help SSAC. Buy a ticket. Support seniors. Maybe win the jackpot! Buy your tickets at SeniorsLottery.ca. Every ticket helps us continue providing the programs, meals, activities and services that make SSAC such an important part of our community.
Thank you for your support, especially to all of our current volunteers who make it happen!
