Latest big winners in four northern Ont. hospital lotteries

Sudbury hospital March 50/50 winner gets the call HSN Foundation president and CEO Anthony Keating calls March's 50/50 winner to let them know about their big win.

Meet the March winners of the monthly 50/50 hospital lotteries in Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay, who together won more than $700,000.

Health Sciences North in Sudbury

As a Sudbury man won Thunder Bay hospital’s 50/50 draw in January, a Thunder Bay man won the Sudbury hospital’s lottery in March.

Matthew Baumann won $475,075, the jackpot in the Health Sciences North Foundation’s March 50/50 draw.

“I’m so surprised. Just wow,” said Baumann, in a news release.

“I’ve won smaller 50/50s or raffles at events but I can’t believe I get to take home a prize like this.”

Anthony Keating is the president of the foundation and volunteer groups at the Sudbury hospital and he called Baumann to let him know about his win on March 28.

During the call, Baumann told Keating that he was just getting over a cold.

“Well, I might help you get over that cold a little bit better,” said Keating.

“You just won $475,000.”

Since its inception, the HSN Foundation’s 50/50 draw has given away more than $24 million to winners all over Ontario.

“Your ongoing support ensures we continue to make a lasting impact on patient care for those living in Sudbury and across northeastern Ontario,” Keating said.

The April HSN 50/50 draw is April 26 and the jackpot is already more than $219,000.

Timmins And District Hospital

Shawn Adams from Temiskaming Shores has won $138,105, the jackpot in the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation’s March 50/50 draw.

The foundation had to make several calls on March 28 to reach Adams.

“It was an unbelievable call,” he said.

Adams told the foundation he has been playing the 50/50 for a long time and he and his family have used the hospital’s services many times over the year and he has always appreciated the care they’ve received.

“Shawn worked as a laboratory tech for 32 years so he understands the pressures on healthcare and the importance of fundraising for hospitals in general,” the foundation said in a news release.

Adams said he is going to use the money to help with his son’s tuition for medical school in Australia and that he has had a new boat on his mind but never thought he could get one.

“The Easter bunny may just be bringing me a new boat,” he said, according to the news release.

The April 50/50 draw is April 30 and the jackpot is already almost $55,000.

Proceeds from the draw support the highest-priority needs at the hospital and helps the hospital continue to provide exemplary care to community.

Sault Area Hospital

Local man Andrew Bremmer won $70,975, the jackpot in the Sault Area Hospital Foundation’s March 50/50 draw.

The foundation called Bremmer on March 28 to let him know about his win.

He was in shock when he first got the call, said the foundation in a news release.

Bremmer said he thought he won $75 and couldn’t believe it when he was told it was quite a bit more than that.

He said he plans to use his winnings to support his retirement.

“Every ticket purchased not only has the potential to transform the life of the lucky winner, but also has a positive impact in our community,” said the foundation’s executive director Teresa Martone.

The Sault hospital’s next 50/50 draw is April 26 and the jackpot is already more than $25,000.

North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation

Ashley Conrad won $31,128, the jackpot in the North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation’s March 50/50 draw.

Conrad told the foundation that she has been playing the 50/50 lottery for more than two years, the foundation said in a social media post.

Conrad said she plans to put her winnings towards a new vehicle.

In North Bay, their next 50/50 hospital lottery will be a 3-Month Mega Draw with tickets for the draw June 28 at 10 a.m.

The jackpot for the next North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation’s 50/50 is already more than $11,000.

In other recent lottery news

Northern Ontario has recently celebrated a few other big lotto wins with a Blind River man winning almost $1.75 million in Thunder Bay’s hospital lottery last month and a Sudbury man won $100,000 with an OLG Instant Power 5s ticket.