'Blue Jays number one fan' comes forward to claim $2.8 million jackpot win
Winning ticket was purchased at the home opener, but organizers had no way to contact the buyer until she stepped forward
Article content
The winner of a $2.8-million 50/50 draw held by Jays Care Foundation has stepped forward to claim her prize.
The charitable arm of the Toronto baseball team runs regular 50/50 draws through each Jays homestand. This year the group kicked off the season with a “mega jackpot” draw, with tickets sold online and during Jays games from March 23 (one week before the season began) to April 30, covering two homestands.
The winner, identified as “Deb” from the Hamilton region, purchased 250 tickets for $100 in-stadium on April 11, the day of the Jays’ home opener. Jays Care announced the winning number on May 1 and, after a weeklong search supported by fans and media outlets across the country, Deb came forward with the winning ticket to claim her prize.
Deb called herself “the Blue Jays number one fan,” and added that she has been a Jays Care supporter for many years. Her prize amount is $2,873,030, with the same amount being invested into Jays Care programming across Ontario, including building and refurbishing community baseball diamonds, and participating in children and youth athletics programs.
The Jays had hoped to contact the winner immediately on May 1. But because only online sales contained information to contact the buyer, they were unable to find the winner until she made herself known. Had no one stepped forward within six months, the entirety of the prize money would have gone to Jays Care.
Tickets for the next 50/50 draw are on sale now online while the Jays finish up a nine-game road trip with a pair of matches in Philadelphia Tuesday and Wednesday, and will continue through the 10-game homestand that kicks off May 12. The draw will take place May 21, and is expected to be worth about $1-million.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here.
- Advertisement 2Story continues below
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.