Ontario Charities 50/50 Raffle
Lottery Licence # RAF1441633
Charities Lottery History
The origin of the Knights of Columbus Lottery can be traced back to the Knights of Columbus “Tombola” initiated in Ottawa in 1920 by Bayswater Council #1812. Although the lottery has undergone several iterations since its inception, the year 2020, marking its one-hundred-year anniversary, saw the annual provincial lottery undergo one of its most significant changes.
As of January 2021, the Ontario Knights of Columbus Charity Raffle, will feature a “50-50 Raffle” as opposed to a prize board as well as all sales going digital. While the lottery has adapted to our new social distancing reality, it remains committed to use the money raised to help its traditional charities. These include the Arthritis Society, Special Olympics Ontario, the Children’s Wish Foundation, and many other worthwhile charities. Click here to see list.
Local Knights of Columbus subordinate councils participating in the sale of tickets will continue to receive a portion of the funds to help support local charities in their area.
There will be four quarterly draws in 2021. The next two final draws will be conducted electronically on September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2021, at 11:30 pm. The owner of the winning ticket will be given 50% of the total money raised.
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In addition to the grand prize draw, there will be two early bird draws to be drawn on August 1, 2021 and September 1, 2021 each with three prizes ($500, $250 and $250). Similarly, on November 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021.
The names of the early bird and Grand prize-winning ticket holders will be posted on the Ontario State Website at www.ontariokofc.ca.
The Charities Lottery is provincially licensed under the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Commission and is administered by the Ontario State Office under the authority of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Since the lottery program began, the Knights of Columbus Ontario Charities Foundation has donated over 11 million dollars to local non-profit organizations across Ontario.
Rules of Play for 50/50 Electronic Raffle
1. All tickets can only be sold to people who are 18 years of age or older.
2. Tickets will be sold online using the electronic lottery system supplied by Rafflebox.
3. Grand Prize & Early Bird draw schedules. The lottery dates below will occur in the Province of Ontario.
- Ticket sales start on January 07, 2025- Grand prize draw date on April 27, 2025
- Ticket sales start on May 1, 2025-Grand prize draw date on September 1st, 2025
- Ticket sales start on September 5, 2025-Grand prize draw on December 30,2025
4. “Early Bird” draws will take place on February 14, 2025, June 16, 2025 & October 14, 2025. Early Bird Prize is $ 500.00. Online 50-50 tickets must be purchased in Ontario as this is a requirement for all suppliers. Provided the ticket is purchased by someone residing in Ontario they would be the winner of that prize. A person outside of Ontario is not permitted to buy an online 50-50 ticket for a draw licensed by the AGCO.
6. After buying, patrons will be provided by the sellers, a receipt with their registered numbers from the electronic raffle system (Rafflebox). No specific numbers can be given as they are issued in sequence of order.
7. The winning ticket number will be selected by a Random Number Generation (RNG) system from all raffle numbers sold for the draw.
8. The winning number will be updated on the lottery landing page and on the Knights of Columbus Ontario State Council website www.ontariokofc.ca
9. Winners consent to the release of their name and photograph by licensee for publicity purposes.
10. The winner may claim their prize by contacting the Knights of Columbus Ontario Charity Foundation at: 1-800-759-0959, or by email at: [email protected]. The winning ticket must be emailed to the Ontario State Office for verification. Winners must provide an original copy of winning ticket. Along with the winning ticket, the winner must provide his/her name, address, and phone number with picture identification for our report sheet. Winners will be paid by cheque.
11. The winning ticket holder has 6 months in which to claim their prize from the date of the draw their ticket was purchased for.
12. Once the certified winner is verified, and provides identification with photo ID, they will be given a cheque in the amount of the declared prize which is, at minimum, 50% of the total sales for that draw. If the winner cannot provide photo ID, then the winning proceeds will be held until such identification can be provided.
13. In the event that no winner comes forward, the winning stub will be kept on file in a secure location and held for 6 months. After that time period has elapsed, the prize will be donated to the Knights of Columbus Ontario Charity Foundation, with the approval of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
14. The following individuals are not eligible to participate in the 50/50 draws:
- Residents outside of Ontario
- Anyone under the age of 18
- Or any other restricted members such as the organizations board members and/or active participants.
15. The above set of rules will be posted online at www.ontariokofc.ca.
2025 Charities 50/50 Online Raffle Authorized Donation Recipients
Non-Profit/ Pro-Life or Charitable:
Arthritis Society
Birthright
Children Wishes
Children’s Aid
Churches
Crime Stoppers
Food Banks
Foster Parents
Habitat for Humanity
Homes for the Aged
Hospices
Hospital Foundations
Meals on Wheels
Relief Shelters
Rosalie Hall
Salvation Army
Special Olympics Ontario
St Vincent de Paul
Catholic Christian Outreach
Catholic Missions Canada
The Martyr’s Shrine
Bursaries / Scholarships:
High School
University
Community / Church:
Church Renovation
Family Centres
Inner City Homes
Needy Families
Seniors Groups
Education / Research:
Birthright Pregnancy Service
Marguerite Bourgeoys Family Planning
Serena Ontario
Natural Family Planning (NFP)
Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
Right to Life Association
Youth Programmes:
Basketball
Handicapped Kids
Science Fairs
Columbian Squires
V.I.P. Programs
Youth Camps
Youth Groups
Vocations:
Help Centre
Religious Orders
Seminarians
Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops