Bert Vanderheide of Blenheim has won the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation 50/50 jackpot.
His ticket number – A-2936682 – was drawn early Thursday afternoon. The 59-year-old was announced as the winner by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation later in the afternoon.
"I'm not really sure why I bought a ticket," said Vanderheide, who purchased the winning number Tuesday morning at the Foundation's office in Chatham. "But my wife said I should pick some up...and well happy wife - happy life."
CONGRATULATIONS Bert Vanderheide!!!!!
Lucky winner of the $149,180 Jackpot from our Igniting Healthcare 50/50 FUNdraiser!!!#ignite5050 #ckont #ckhaf #ckha pic.twitter.com/D0KxviGoWY— Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation (@ckhafoundation) June 27, 2019
Vanderheide said he plans to use the winnings to purchase the home he has been renting.
The push for the 50/50 fundraiser easily broke a local record. The previous record jackpot of just over $80,000 set at last year's International Plowing Match in Pain Court was shattered as Thursday's top prize climbed to $149,180 ahead of the 12 p.m. deadline.
The money raised through the draw will be used to purchase a new holmium laser for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s urology program.
The foundation saw a large influx of donations in the span of five days. The response poured in all at once, to the point where the foundation's web server crashed on Thursday morning.
"What a great problem to have," said Mary-Lou Crowley, the president and chief executive officer from of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation. "The power of people, the influx of donations in our community ... I'm happy to say it was down but it was back up in six minutes."
Handfuls of people gathered at the Maple City Homes headquarters on St. Clair Street in Chatham for the draw.
The home building company's president, Robb Nelson, said he has a personal connection to the fundraiser.
"My wife and I have always been involved with the Chatham-Kent Health foundation," he said. "Anything we can do to give back means a lot to us... we enjoy giving back to a community which has given us a lot."
This is being touted as the first ever online charity fundraiser in the history of Southwestern Ontario.
https://twitter.com/ckhafoundation/status/1144277489369436160