TORONTO – Thomas can’t remember what he said or heard at a meeting last month.
That’s because just minutes before, Sportsnet anchor Ivanka Osmark told him he’d won $500,000.
A few days ago, Thomas, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his privacy, purchased a Jays Care 50/50 raffle ticket on a whim after receiving a marketing email in his inbox. Then he forgot all about it.
“When you play these games,” he said, “you don’t really expect to win.”
On May 13, while he was working in IT, the phone rang and he almost rejected the call from a private number. “I’m glad I didn’t do that,” Thomas said. Instead, he heard Sportsnet Central host Osmak tell him he was the winner of the 50/50 jackpot. She asked him if he knew how much money he had just won. Thomas replied that he thought $50,000 would be good. “Then she said, ‘Yeah, $50,000 would be great. But it was actually $538,908 (in Canadian dollars).
Thomas quickly got over his shock. He had to go to a meeting immediately afterwards.
“I don’t know what I said. I was obviously talking and answering questions, but my mind was completely elsewhere and just thinking, ‘Is this real? Is this really happening?’
Over the years, the Toronto Blue Jays’ 50/50 drawing has been known for its eye-popping jackpots and life-changing bonuses. These jackpots have caught the attention of many in baseball, including former Cleveland Defenders manager Terry Francona, who saw an $82,000 bonus during the 2016 ALCS and told catcher Mike Napoli ( Mike Napoli), “We have to be involved.”
The 50/50 sweepstakes, run by the Jays Care Foundation, the Blue Jays’ charitable arm, awards half of ticket sales to the winner and the other half to charity. To date, nine millionaires have been crowned. It is already the largest sweepstakes of its kind in Major League Baseball and strives to set new records each year.
One of these nine millionaires is named Andrew. He had just gotten home from the cardiologist when the phone rang. Thankfully, his heart was in good condition when a representative from Jays Care called.
When Andrew answered the phone, he was asked if he had received a call earlier in the day and told to check his voicemail. When he did, there was a message from Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez. In his distinctly gravelly voice, Martinez told Andrew that he was the lucky winner of $2.6 million.
“It was a very shocking moment,” said Andrew, who asked that only his first name be used to protect his privacy.
The win couldn’t have come at a better time for Andrew, who said he had been dealing with personal challenges.
“Things have been pretty grim over the past few years, but it’s nice to get some really good news,” Andrew said. “This money will help me do a lot of positive things.”
Andrew (pictured above) initially missed the call informing him of his 50/50 win. (Courtesy of Jess Care)
In 2019, Ontario launched online 50/50 ticket sales to help expand the sweepstakes. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and the Blue Jays played games away from Rogers Center, Jays Care switched from daily drawings to home jackpots and super jackpots, a move that made the pools larger and increased interest. Together, the changes ushered in an era of massive Jays Care 50/50 growth, producing the top 10 largest bonuses in MLB history — all since 2019.
“This is something we are very proud of,” said Robert Witchel, executive director of Jays Care. “We want our program to be the best in class. We want to reach as many kids as possible.
In 2021, Jays Care 50/50 tickets sold a total of $12 million, half of which was donated to the winners and the other half to charity. Total ticket sales will reach $33 million by 2023, having set an Ontario and MLB record of $5.9 million last September. (Congratulations to the Mini from Toronto.)
This season, 50/50 has awarded four grand prizes totaling more than $4.3 million, as well as hundreds of early bird prizes including signed memorabilia, Blue Jays tickets and smaller cash prizes. Next month’s Canada Day Super Jackpot will award 10 grand prize winners who will split the prize, an idea that came from fan feedback and will include 157 early bird prizes to mark Canada’s 157th birthday.
Biggest bonus in MLB history! 🔥
You asked for it @bluebird Fans, we listened…and for the first time ever, we’re splitting our huge prize evenly among 10 different winners! Plus, you have 157 chances to win some incredible prizes.
🎟 https://t.co/5chwquqc3r pic.twitter.com/95y8BRUNNj
— Jays Care Foundation (@JaysCare) June 7, 2024
Jays Care 50/50 stands out in part because of its ambassadors — the eclectic, cheerful, red-shirted employees who fill the Rogers Center lobby and sell 50/50 tickets until the final results are in.
Ambassador Day usually starts a few hours before the first promotion. Minutes before the stadium gates opened, they gathered in a classroom-sized room inside Gate 3. Sales within door number.
Finally, before they reached the hall, it was time to cheer.
“50/50!”
Pat Pat pat pat pat pat
“Sell them tickets!”
Pat Pat pat pat pat pat
“Raise this money!”
Pat Pat pat pat pat pat
“let’s go!”
“They come from all walks of life,” Woodman said. “It’s like a very close family. Everybody knows everybody, and their spouses and kids and grandkids… They’re really invested in each other, which is nice.
Once in the hall, the ambassadors dispersed. There are 60 players this season, but an average of 30 to 40 players per game. Each ambassador develops a unique style to attract customers. Some shouted, “50/50 vote! Come support the Jays Care Foundation!” Others, like Tracey Lung, took a more calculated approach.
“I’m really good at reading people,” said Long, who is in his second year in sales. “How they approach me, or whether they look down or look straight at me, I know if I try to sell them tickets, they’re going to get the tickets, or I can upsell them.”
Before making a potential sale, the ambassador introduces the charity event to potential buyers and then lists various ticket options – 5 tickets for $10, 25 tickets for $25, 100 tickets for $50 or 300 tickets for $125, with a maximum of Great prices and best odds.
Another ambassador, Anna Cappuccitti, said there is one key to being an effective seller. “I’m not afraid of rejection,” she said with a smile.
In 2023, Ambassadors’ total ticket sales exceeded $6.7 million, a record high. There is friendly competition among sellers who track sales each night; ultimate bragging rights belong to the person who sold the winning ticket. Cappucciti has yet to sell her jackpot ticket, but hopes her luck will change.
“People tell me I feel lucky to have this vibe about me, so they buy from me,” she said. “I always say, ‘Hey, I hope you win. I’m going to pray for you. I know their names. I write them. I put it in my phone and I’ll pray and they love it.
Regardless of their sales strategy, what connects everyone involved in 50/50 is the why.
Jays Care runs programs for marginalized and impoverished children across Canada and expects to reach more than 60,000 children this year. Their programs include initiatives like Girls At Bat, which aims to reduce the barriers anyone who identifies as a girl may face when participating in the sport, and Challenger Baseball, an adaptive baseball program that helps Children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities learn the sport. Jays Care is a two-time recipient of MLB’s Allan H. Selig Award for Excellence in Philanthropy and has been recognized by Charity Intelligence Canada, a watchdog group for non-profit charities. It is one of the top 100 charities in the country.
Ten years ago, 50/50 donations accounted for about 10% of the charity’s total fundraising. Today, the raffle accounts for nearly half of the money raised, Witchell said.
And there are plans to continue growing. This year, Jays Care expanded online ticket sales to Nova Scotia after the province’s premier attended a Blue Jays game and commented on the size of the prize money.
“I said, ‘Okay, do you want to bring this to Nova Scotia?’ and he was all ears,” Whichell said.
While there are legal hurdles to clear, the ultimate hope is that 50/50 will open across Canada, which will provide more funding for children across the country.
Canada has a unique passion for 50/50 draws that is ingrained in the country’s DNA. Many Canadians grew up participating in the 50/50 raffle at their local hockey rink. Another potential reason? Canadians’ 50/50 winnings are tax-free.
While raising funds for charity is Jays Care’s top priority, Whichell said telling the lucky winners of their prizes was also a bonus. “We really changed lives,” he said.
For Long, one of the conductors, helping people like Andrew and Thomas is a satisfying job.
“It’s a tough situation out there. The fact that we can change someone’s life just by watching a game… we’re also helping more kids,” she said. “That’s the amazing trickle-down effect.”
April’s jackpot winner Andrew hasn’t decided yet on what he might want to splurge on — a new set of golf clubs is one idea — but first, he’s grateful that he’s now better prepared for retirement.
Thomas, the half-million-dollar winner, has no plans to buy a new house or a luxury car. He doesn’t plan on making impulse purchases. When asked what he would do with the money, he said: “I wish I could give you a more interesting answer.”
He grew up in Toronto as the son of immigrants. They didn’t have a lot of money, he said, and his parents were careful about how they spent their money. He stresses that he remembers a good childhood but strives to give his two children – aged six and nine – more than he had. In addition to using his winnings to invest in their future education and help pay off mortgages and lines of credit, he hopes to spend it on a family vacation to create lasting memories.
“This gives us peace of mind moving forward,” he said. “I think that’s the most important thing for me. I just feel a little lighter since (I won). It doesn’t change my work. I’m still very motivated at work and in my home life. But it’s The overall feeling of comfort and inner peace is great.
(Above: Daniel Goldfarb/ Competitor; Photo: iStock)
