THUNDER BAY – Janis Ross and her husband weren’t sure where everyone was going to sleep this weekend at camp.
Those worries dissipated on Monday, when she learned she was the grand-prize winner in St. John Ambulance’s sold-out seventh annual Spring into Summer draw, making her the proud owner of a new $42,000 trailer.
Ross, reached by phone, said she thought the phone call was a joke.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
The trailer will be put to good use, Ross added.
“We were actually going to buy a trailer a little earlier and it fell through,” she said. “We’re going to park it on our property at Plateau Lake.”
Ross wasn’t the only winner announced at the afternoon draw, held at the organization’s Fort William Road offices.
Steve Klamski was the first name drawn and won a trip for two anywhere WestJet flies, while Derek Primeau won a kayak package.
Diane Sustawenko, executive director of St. John Ambulance Northwestern Ontario, estimated they raised about $50,000, which will be used to fund a number of programs offered by the organization.
Once again the community came through, she said.
“Every year they always come forward for us. We sell out every year,” Sustawenko said, adding they sold the final ticket at about 11 a.m. on Monday – though several latecomers did try to purchase tickets ahead of the 2 p.m. draw time, only to be turned away.
“It happens every year. The community has always been very supportive of St. John Ambulance and all of the money that we raise from this trailer draw goes back to support our community service programs – our medical first response division that provides service out in the community, our car-seat inspection program, our youth program, our Grade 3 and Grade 6 school programs and our therapy dog program.”