Tickets on sale for Take-a-Year-Off Lottery, draw on Nov. 2
The Take-A-Year-Off Lottery by the Winnipeg Beach Fire Department offers a unique opportunity for Manitobans. With a grand prize of $52,000, which translates to $1,000 every week for an entire year, it’s not just about winning money—it’s about supporting a crucial community service. The funds raised will help ensure that local firefighters have the modern equipment they need to keep everyone safe.
For the first time, the local fire department is holding a lottery raffle. Fire chief Dave Schellenberg said that though they hold a couple of different fundraisers throughout the year, this is the first time they’ve done anything this big.
The Winnipeg Beach Fire Department needs new fire apparatus. What most people don’t know is that everything in a fire hall has an expiry date—helmets, boots, gloves, and even trucks.
Schellenberg said the date of the fire trucks affects the department’s insurance. Older trucks make the department less reliable in the eyes of insurance companies, making their insurance cost more.
“The truck may look good, but the inside stuff isn’t,” he said. “After a certain age, insurance says we can’t trust that anymore.”
The department received a provincial grant for $815,000, but that only paid for one pumper. Their current mainline pumper is from 1993, so the grant money will replace that one, but nothing else.
So, instead of raising taxes to have locals pay for the new fire truck, the department started throwing ideas around, wondering just how big they could go with their next fundraiser. As chance would have it, the town chief administrative officer (CAO) came to them with a big idea of her own.
“She said, ‘I want to give someone a year off,’” said Schellenberg.
And that’s exactly what they’re doing. After months of drafting rules, working with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, creating a bank account, making posters, and working around the clock, the Take-A-Year-Off Lottery is up and running. Starting the week of Sept. 16, the lottery had already raised $26,000 in just two weeks of being open.
“It’s been a lot of extra volunteer hours to get this thing going but we want to do this annually,” said Schellenberg. “We want to give people the chance to win some money. Are you actually going to take a year off if you win 52 grand? Probably not. But it’s going to help.”
In addition to the grand prize of $52,000, the Take-A-Year-Off Lottery also offers a second prize of $5,000, a third prize of $3,000, a fourth prize of $2,000, a fifth prize of $1,000, and a $100 prize for sixth to tenth place. There’s also a 50/50 draw that sat at more than $7,000 at the beginning of the week.
To purchase a ticket, 50/50 ticket, or both for the Take-A-Year-Off Lottery, go to https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/wbfd and click “Purchase Tickets.” From there, you’ll select the number of tickets you want, input your personal information (name, phone number, and email being mandatory), and add your payment information. People can also get tickets at the municipal office at 29 Robinson Ave or at the recreation centre at 32 Hamilton Ave. Both locations accept cash, debit, and credit.
Right now, the fire department’s goal is to raise enough money with the lottery to pay for the prizes and to go into a reserve fund for future fire apparatus. Schellenberg is hoping people from all over Manitoba will support the cause.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is once you leave the perimeter, you’re in the hands of a rural fire service,” he said. “And there’s not a lot of paid full-time fire departments outside of Winnipeg. Those are volunteers coming to get you.”
The Winnipeg Beach Fire Department plans to make the Take-A-Year-Off Lottery an annual event. They’re hoping it gets enough attention this year to make that happen.
When designing their new fire truck, Schellenberg said they looked at what Winnipeg Beach will look like in 20 years when it’s still being used. It can take up to five years for them to get a new truck after designing it, so time is of the essence.
“As the town expands, we need to be ready,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of old cottages in Winnipeg Beach being turned into year-round houses. Houses burn faster than they used to. What’s Winnipeg Beach going to look like in 20 years? We need to buy a truck now that can keep up with that in 20 years.”
Currently, the Winnipeg Beach Fire Department gets two new fire suits a year. They’re hoping to create a schedule like that with fire trucks in the future.
The Take-a-Year-Off Lottery draw will be on Nov. 2 at the annual Firemen’s Ball. Everything within it is computer-generated, making all winners drawn a totally anonymous process. The draw is open to anyone over 18 in Manitoba. The grand prize winner can choose to receive their entire prize of $52,000 at once or receive $1,000 a week for a year with no penalty for choosing the former.
