Three Lakeshore men are the lucky winners of the 2021 Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation’s 50/50 draw.
It had been almost two weeks since the winning ticket, A-7240906, was drawn, but now Paul Ballay, Rick Demarse, and James Desjardins are $131,260 richer.
"We were starting to panic a little bit," said Mary Lou Crowley, president and CEO of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation. "What we came to understand is that Rick was away with the winning ticket and he didn't get back until Monday."
Demarse had sat down for his morning coffee and it became known to him that he was holding onto the winning ticket. The three friends said they were planning on splitting the money equally which works out to be about $44,000 each.
"I was just telling them that my wife is going to get a new car," said Ballay. "My wife and I have been talking about it over the last couple of weeks and now, it's possible."
Ballay said his friend Rick had called him around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and filled him in about the winning ticket.
"I was in disbelief," said Bailey.
Demarse, whose family is originally from Wallaceburg and Tilbury, said his share of the winnings will allow for his wife to join him in retirement and the third, Desjardins, said he is still thinking about what he plans to do with his portion of the prize money.
According to Crowley, staff members had been selling tickets out in Erieau when the three drove up on their motorcycles and purchased a ticket.
"As each day went by, the whole team became more excited. We were kind of on the edge of our seats," said Crowley. "We were so delighted to see the three of them pull up with their motorcycles today outside of the foundation office and share their story."
The proceeds of the annual fundraiser will buy six new electrocardiograph machines for the hospitals in Chatham and Wallaceburg.