A Taylor Swift giveaway is raising thousands of dollars for a mental health-care charity in St. John's, N.L. — all thanks to a big donation and some kindness from a total stranger.
Kristi Allan, an outspoken mental health-care advocate in Newfoundland and Labrador, told CTV National News she managed to snag two tickets to a 2024 Taylor Swift concert in Toronto.
Though she's a huge Swift fan, Allan donated the tickets to the Jacob Puddister Memorial Foundation in St. John's, which provides counselling and other mental health supports to young people in Newfoundland and Labrador.
A raffle for the pair of tickets is on track to raise almost $40,000 — money that will help the foundation hire another counsellor part time.
"In 2020 I started going to regular therapy and it saved my life," Allan said. "I don't think I would be alive without therapy. And I want as many people to have access to that as possible."
Initial interest in the tickets was so high, Allan said her e-mail application couldn't keep up with the demand and crashed.
But there's one other act of kindness that was crucial for success, she added, the total stranger who answered her plea for a good deal on a pair of concert tickets.
"I got a good discount — like a really good discount," she said. "He could have been so much more greedy, so I'm grateful to them."
Allan said she's been able to track down elusive Swift concert tickets in the past, but this time, when it appeared her chances were slim, she tried her luck on eBay.
She messaged a seller with a big ask: Would they agree to sell their tickets for far less money than they could get on eBay, provided it was for a good cause?
"I didn't want (it) to seem like a scam or anything, because everybody's scamming for this," Allan said. "I said 'I can send you links and I can send you news articles of past fundraisers.' … I guess it must have tugged at their heartstrings because they did agree and they canceled their auction."
Allan said she’s not quite sure why the seller agreed, but she's kept in touch with them to express how thankful she is.
After verifying the tickets were legitimate, Allan said she transferred them almost immediately to the Jacob Puddister Memorial Foundation.
The charity said in a Facebook post that it was "so, so grateful" for Allan's donation.
"We … are hoping that this ticket event will allow us to provide more therapy hours to the youth of NL,” it said in the social media post.
Each week, Allan holds a small demonstration at the steps of the provincial parliament, asking for increased access to mental health supports.
She says she sets a goal each year to donate a certain amount of her money to mental-health focused charities and causes — and thanks to Taylor Swift's huge popularity, this year she has exceeded her goal.
"Believe me, someone is going to see Taylor Swift, which is like the best news ever in my opinion," she said. "However, it's not a good news story that this money has to be fundraised, because I believe that the government should be providing services like this for free."
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
A Regina police officer was injured after another officer's gun was accidentally fired while conducting a search warrant early Friday morning.
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
The retrial in New York of Harvey Weinstein -- whose moviemaking prowess once wowed Hollywood -- won't be coming to a courtroom anytime soon, if ever, legal experts said on a day when one of two women considered crucial to the case said she wasn't sure she would testify again.
Donald Trump says he wants to hold a major campaign event at New York's Madison Square Garden featuring Black hip-hop artists and athletes. But five months before the first general election votes are cast, the former president's campaign has little apparent organization to show for its ambitious plans.
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
The federal government is earmarking $3 million for production of drones in Ukraine in support of Kyiv's fight against Russia's invasion.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs pushed back against a woman's lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault, filing a motion on Friday to dismiss some claims that were not under law when the alleged incident occurred.
When Art Kinarthy embarked upon this quest, he never could have imagined where it would ultimately lead.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Maple Leafs winger William Nylander appears on course to suit up for the first time in this spring's Stanley Cup playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
J.T. Miller had a goal and assist and the Vancouver Canucks edged the Nashville Predators 2-1 to re-take the lead in their first-round playoff series.
The 36-year-old killed on Highway 5 this week has been identified as Juver Balmore, a husband and father of three young children who worked for CN Rail.
A fire that displaced three families from a townhouse complex in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood Friday afternoon is considered suspicious, local Mounties say.
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Calgary police took two people into custody on Friday after a stabbing in the community of Haysboro.
If you've spent any amount of time scrolling TikTok at 3 a.m. (it's OK -- we all have), you probably know the meme...
It will warm up tomorrow, but it will also be gusty at times.
Though the temperatures are warm, the capital is going to have a rainy Saturday starting this afternoon.
Ontario Provincial Police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing man from Newfoundland who disappeared in eastern Ontario.
The City of Ottawa says the release of the first draft provisions for Ottawa’s new Zoning By-law marks the start of the next step of the city’s growth and development.
Montreal comic book artists Ben and Ray Lai claim Marvel and Disney are abusing the legal process in the Lai brothers' copyright infringement suit against the industry giants.
Tens of thousands of visitors flock to Quebec's Iles-de-la-Madeleine every summer to behold its cliff-framed seascapes and sandy beaches. But starting next month, those island sojourns will come with an added cost.
The office of Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau prefers to openly ignore journalists' requests.
A cat that jumped from the balcony of a burning building in downtown Edmonton on Thursday afternoon will make a full recovery, building officials say.
A bill that would empower the Alberta government to remove elected municipal officials or strike down local bylaws is an "attack on local democracy," says the capital city's mayor.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Cape Breton Regional Police found a dead body in Sydney, N.S., Thursday evening.
A popular chef, who is fighting a battle against an aggressive form of cancer, is getting support from her community.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored on the power play during a five-goal, third-period outburst and the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 6-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 on Friday night.
Parents in Gimli who rely on child care before and after school are sounding the alarm over policy changes coming in September.
RCMP have identified 28-year-old Brianna Hayes from Oxbow, Sask. as the victim in an ongoing homicide investigation in the province’s southeast. As a result, police have charged 24-year-old Taylor Japp, also from Oxbow with second degree murder, an RCMP news release said.
Youth in Yorkton can now access a new Lego Therapy program in their community through SaskAbilities.
A Regina police officer was injured after another officer's gun was accidentally fired while conducting a search warrant early Friday morning.
More than a year has passed since the City of Kitchener announced it was pausing community consultations on the future of the Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park, and there is still no timeline for a resumption of the process.
An investor with ties to apartment buildings across Ontario appears to be connected to 250 Frederick Street in Kitchener.
Ontario’s Minister of Economic Investment, Job Creation and Trade says a number of companies have shown interest in a tract of land the Region of Waterloo is trying to assemble in Wilmot Township.
Over six months after Saskatchewan's government announced a significant $90 million investment in social services, the initiative is reportedly making progress.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating after a woman’s body was found at a recycling facility Friday morning.
Four people, including two teen girls, were arrested and charged after an attempted armed robbery on Thursday evening.
Two hunters from North Bay, Ont., and a third from Temagami pled guilty recently to offences they committed during a 2022 moose hunt.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
Ontario Provincial Police responding to a disturbance in West Nipissing this week discovered a conscious person lying in the street.
A 24-year-old man who died Friday in a car crash on Highway 401 has been identified as Omar Barzak from London, Ont.
In case you missed it, CTV News London has compiled all the top local stories from this week into one video for your convenience.
Efforts at city hall to get reimbursed by the federal government for costs incurred by asylum seekers might be too late.
One person killed in multi-vehicle crash in Innisfil on Friday.
Orillia OPP is investigating and searching for a missing person on Lake St. George.
With its Innisfil location’s lease set to expire within the next five years, Gateway Casinos is eyeing a plan to move.
Campus police are investigating after homophobic slurs were carved into the door of the University of Windsor’s Campus Pride Centre earlier this month.
All the excitement of the NFL Draft has officially descended upon Detroit, with Windsor welcoming the spillover.
A Windsor woman has 75,000 reasons to smile this month after winning an instant lottery game.
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Saanich council will be discussing a report Monday prepared by Saanich Fire Chief Michael Kaye on the merits of amalgamating the fire departments of Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Saanich.
When Art Kinarthy embarked upon this quest, he never could have imagined where it would ultimately lead.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
A former University of Lethbridge student has been awarded the Medal for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Equity by NASA.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie is looking for community input on some design concepts for the waterfront.
Meeting next week, city council in Sault Ste. Marie will get an overview of what to expect if it decides to implement a new tax on empty homes in the city.
Two hunters from North Bay, Ont., and a third from Temagami pled guilty recently to offences they committed during a 2022 moose hunt.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
