Shaymas Brown was on his way to the lottery kiosk at Trail Bay Centre in Sechelt “to play the numbers” when he was diverted from his mission by a Rotary Club member selling Sunshine Coast cash calendars.
“I decided I liked the odds better,” said the Sechelt resident.
Cash calendar purchasers have a one-in-seven chance of winning; for 6/49 players it’s one in 14 million.
Thanks to his prudent choice, Brown is taking home $3,000 as the 2020 grand prize winner.
All four Rotary Clubs on the Sunshine Coast participate in calendar sales, taking turns staffing the table at the south entrance of Trail Bay Centre every December as well as Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons and the IGA in Pender Harbour.
This year, 2,539 calendars were sold, and daily winners will take home a total of $14,460 in prizes in the coming year.
The remaining revenue – more than $32,000 – is divided up between the four clubs and is used for local projects, scholarships and youth programs.
“This was the highest sales and earnings since 2008,” said Marnie Hatton of the Rotary Club of Sechelt, which organized the sale.
Next year’s cash calendars go on sale in December 2020.
– Submitted by Dave Connors
