HALO 50-50 cash draw announced

By Stan Ashbee
Westwind Weekly News

HALO Air Ambulance recently announced their latest initiative in response to the successful sell-out of their inaugural lottery, earlier this year.

Public health restrictions caused by COVID-19 continue to decimate traditional fundraising. Diversifying the funding model to insulate the program against unpredictable challenges is a top priority for 2021 and beyond, it was stated in a recent media release.

HALO launched its second major fundraiser this year. In March, HALO launched its inaugural lottery, called “The HALO Cattle er’Cash Lottery.” The lottery was a tremendous success, beating all expectations and selling out in just 36 days. The sell-out forced HALO to accelerate draw dates and award the grand prize of 20 Highline Angus Bred Heifers or $50,000 cash — six months ahead of schedule.

“The HALO In Flight For Your Life 50-50 Cash Draw is a direct response to our supporters who made Cattle er’Cash an overwhelming success,” stated Paul Carolan, HALO CEO.

According to the media release, the 50-50 cash draw is the latest in a series of COVID-19 compliant fundraisers keeping HALO flying during a 15-month pandemic that almost grounded the organization for good.

In March 2020, HALO made a desperate plea to the Government of Alberta for support, due to the devastating impacts public health restrictions would have on more traditional fundraising.

“HALO is the definition of grassroots, for years we relied on getting people together, telling our story, and asking for their support. That model worked for the first 14 years of our program, but when COVID hit everything was cancelled,” noted Carolan.

The cash draw launched May 14 — with a grand prize of up to $125,000. The 50-50 will cover five per cent of the organization’s annual operating budget at a full sell-out. The proceeds go directly towards helicopter operations.

HALO 50-50 cash draw tickets are one for $10, 10 for $30, 20 for $50 or 50 for $100 with a guaranteed prize of $50,000 or a maximum payout of $125,000 with a sell-out.

“These new initiatives for us were a necessary step, people love to support a good cause, this way they have incredible odds of winning and are supporting a cause they love if they don’t, it’s literally win-win,” added Carolan.

HALO is the only life-saving helicopter air ambulance medevac service that provides dedicated and faithful service to southern Alberta, since 2007. HALO covers areas that other air ambulance providers are notable to cover, providing rapid response to areas that normally would not be reached within a reasonable timeframe. HALO relies almost exclusively on the generosity of community-minded individuals; responsible businesses and corporate partners; and regional and municipal governments.

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