Excitement is building as the final draw for the Highway #1 Lotto 50/50 in support of the Portage Terriers and Virden Oil Capitals is set for today. With a goal of raising funds for Manitoba Junior Hockey League teams, this event is the first of its kind in the Central Plains area.
“We hope once we hit $100,000, that the pot will go even higher from there,” says Terrier marketing director Cody Buhler. “It’s going to be a really exciting finale to this fundraiser. The minimum take-home for the winner will be $50,000 and it could be more depending on the sales today.”
Tickets will be on sale all day at Stride Place, or at least until 30 minutes before the final draw at 5 p.m. People can also go online and get their tickets from anywhere.
Buhler acknowledges that the pot holds a potentially life-changing amount of money for the winner.
“I’m hoping that it’s going to be somebody from here in Portage, but we’ve been selling these tickets online all over Manitoba. We’ve had early bird winners from Winnipeg, from Virden, and from here in our area as well. So it’s going to be really exciting to see who the winner is- I think that, no matter who gets it, they’re going to be pretty excited for this type of money.”
The Terriers recently recently asked the players what they would do with $50,000. Answers varied and included buying a boat, funding education, investment, and giving back to their families. Excitement is particularly high as this is a local pot, guaranteeing a winner within a limited geographic location.
“When you see those big, massive 6-49 lottos, you don’t know where the winner’s going to be from. It could be anywhere in Canada, or there might not even be a winner necessarily. But here, we know there’s going to be a guaranteed winner- it’s going to be somebody in Manitoba, and it could be somebody you know. Who knows, maybe it could be you.”
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As the biggest lottery in Terrier and Oil Capital history, Buhler says that it’s definitely an event that he hopes will continue to evolve as they see other teams in their league and beyond take in the potential. In conversation with other community groups and team marketing directors, he shares that it’s encouraging to witness such community interest and support.
“It really shows how great our fan base is. But more than that, it shows rural Manitobans supporting each other.” Buhler continues. “Working with Virden this year has been a lot of fun because we’re competitors on the ice, but people don’t always realize that we work together off the ice. I'm talking with different marketing directors from around the league, and we all help each other- we work together off the ice because we want this to be successful.”
Having been part of draws of this type before, Buhler shares that calling the winner is one of his absolute favorite things. In particular, he enjoys getting to hear their voice, sharing the good news, and witnessing the excitement firsthand.
While their season has come to a close, Buhler notes that the players are still enjoying connecting with fans and supporters.
“They gave it their all on the ice- they had a great season,” Buhler recalls. “The players loved the fan support, and loved the people showing up in person in the building, making Stride Place a fun place to play in. And so now this is just a way to show your support for the team again as we start planning for next season.”
Ticket sales for The Highway #1 Lotto 50/50 in support of the Portage Terriers and Virden Oil Capitals closes April 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM. Get your tickets now on the Portage Terriers website or on the Virden Oil Capitals website.
