“Equipment repairs!” Such were Mathieu B.’s thoughts when he heard an unexpected $171, 120 was coming his way. The Peace River-area grain farmer won CKUA’s Snow Bank 50/50 Raffle in February.
He chuckles about it now. “There was no way that was happening,” he says. “My wife kiboshed that idea.” Instead they worked out a good mix: sensible practicalities, adventures with beloved kiddos, and a purchase of the Born to be Wild variety.
First up: paying off their mortgage. It felt “liberating,” according to Matthieu.
Next up, telling their five nieces and nephews to get ready to travel. Each one gets to pick a destination and get on a plane in the coming months.
“It’ll be nice to get to know them better,” says Mathieu. “They’re younger, between seven and 12, so it’s going to be fun.”
Then, on to the Steppenwolf reference: ordering a new Kawasaki Vulcan.
“With the house paid off, we figured we could get a toy,” Mathieu says. Now he just needs to acquire the license to drive said toy. “I’m going to learn to motorbike, I guess,” he laughs. Once that’s done, he’s planning a road trip to California, by way of Montreal.
He’d already bought a few tickets when he heard the call over the airwaves to boost the raffle up to a certain dollar value. He bought a few more and, quelle chance, the winning ticket was one of them.
“I’ve never won anything before,” he says. “It’s been pretty exciting.”
A monthly donor, Mathieu says he’s been listening, “since forever.” His parents used to keep CKUA playing in the background. The musical diversity is what keeps him tuning in.
It’s obviously nice to win, but for him, he says, buying raffle tickets isn’t about playing the odds.
“You do it to support,” he says. “The same reason we support in the spring and fall. There’s a kickback if you win, but the biggest reason is to keep supporting CKUA.”
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Now it’s your chance to win (and to support CKUA)! Our latest 50/50 raffle is live. Buy your tickets here: CKUA.com/5050. We draw the winning ticket June 28. Don’t miss out – our last two raffles had six-figure payouts, at $121,685 and $171,120 respectively.
It means a big cheque for the ticket winner. It also means helping CKUA continue our work in community-based broadcasting and programming, throughout Alberta and beyond.
