Janice B. from Calgary has bought tickets for every CKUA 50/50 Raffle. This year she waited to buy her tickets on her birthday.
“I postponed buying my ticket until my birthday, in February. I thought maybe it would give me a little bit of extra luck and as it happened, it did! So that was a nice surprise.”
She knew the date of the draw so when she had a good feeling when she saw “CKUA” on her phone’s caller ID that day.
“I was jumping up and down inside,” she says. “Nobody really expects to win big like that. I was just thrilled.”
First and foremost, the unexpected dollars will go into her travel fund, she says. She already had a trip booked to Italy, leaving two weeks after the draw.
“Some of my souvenirs might be a little bit pricier than they would have been otherwise,” she laughs.
Janice says she loves to buy handcrafted items when travelling, and for this trip, already had her heart set on a piece of handblown Murano glass, perhaps a vase. She had been thinking of something quite modest. Now she’ll have fun shopping for a splashier piece.
And a bonus trip is already in the works for later this year or early 2025, possibly an African safari.
Beyond the international adventures, Janice says she looks forward to helping family members financially and “spoiling them a little.”
When not travelling, the recently retired Calgarian says she loves taking in arts and culture events around the city, particularly live music.
“I really enjoy that, and CKUA has played a big part in my musical experience, cultural experience, in broadening my horizons in that way.”
She recently saw William Prince, Aysanabee, and Allison Russell live … all in one week! “I encountered them all through CKUA,” she says.
She first discovered CKUA when a friend with eclectic musical tastes mentioned it, around 20 years ago. “I checked it out and I’ve been listening ever since.”
“It’s intelligent radio,” Janice says, of what keeps her listening. “I learn things. I love the friendliness, the way the hosts share their stories, and I love the variety of music and how it’s always changing.”
When asked if she has a favourite program, she is mock outraged. “That’s like asking your favourite child!” She has many favourites, she says, and notes that she’s grown to have an appreciation for jazz, through Kodi Hutchinson’s A Time for Jazz and Dianne Donovan’s Voices in Jazz.
She’s been a supporter for a long time, donating monthly and then also giving during the spring and fall fundraisers.
“I can’t imagine not having it in my life,” she says. “It provides a community service that you don’t find anywhere else.”
She notes how CKUA supports artists, from local to international. “I think CKUA just contributes so much to our society.”
If you’d like to become a monthly donor like Janice, you can do so here! And keep an eye and ear out, because another 50/50 Raffle is around the corner.
Janice B.’s song recommendation, “Everybody Matters” by AV (Ann Vriend):
