CORNER BROOK, N.L. — With the legendary Man in the Mountain keeping watch over the Humber River area, the chances of finding the famous buried Spanish treasure on Shellbird Island are pretty slim.
But the odds of winning a few dollars through a new 50/50 Treasure Chest Toonie Draw might be a little more favourable.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council has partnered with the Family Outreach Resource Centre in Corner Brook on the fundraiser which launched on Aug. 28.
Margie Lewis is the executive director of the council.
She said the two groups have a focus on helping people and families, so teaming up made sense.
The money raised through the draw will support the programs offered by the two groups.
Lewis said funding the council receives only goes so far. In recent years lack of funding prevented trainers from being hired for programs like the Summer Reading for Fun.
“I’ve had to be creative about doing training,” she said.
To make sure tutors are equipped for their roles she’s been putting videos online and enlisting the help of some former staff.
She said bringing in a professionally-trained trainer is the preferred route.
She’d also like to offer more programs the current funding level doesn’t cover.
When it came to ideas for a fundraiser the groups knew they had to be creative.
“You’ve got big dreams and everybody is competing for the same amount of money that’s out there,” said Lewis.
They also wanted to do something fun.
The Treasure Chest Toonie Draw is a 50/50 community lottery modelled after the Gold Rush lottery started by the Big Brothers Big Sister Boys and Girls Club in Miramichi, N.B. Lewis said the population in Miramichi is comparable to Corner Brook and that lottery is currently giving away more than $30,000 a week.
Lewis said they thought basing the draw around the idea of the treasure buried on Shellbird Island by pirate Peter Easton, as one story goes, would help draw people.
“We’re wanting people to be aware of the Man in the Mountain residing over that legendary treasure that’s hidden on the island.”
The groups have set a goal to have 10,000 players register in the first year. That could mean a win of $10,000 a week if all those players play.
“The $10,000 a week split pot could mean an awful lot of services,” said Lewis. “The potential to be able to do more is there and I think that was the draw for my board, that’s why they got behind this type of a fundraiser.”
But the pot has a chance of growing higher if the winning number selected didn’t play for that particular week. Then the pot is carried over to the next week.
And if the lottery proves lucrative the groups hope to add more numbers next year.
Aside from helping out the council and the Family Outreach Centre the draw will also benefit other community groups.
Lewis said the plan is to give a percentage of the 50 per cent the charities keep to groups like local sports teams, other charitable organizations and other not-for-profit community groups that are interested in applying.
The first draw will take place on Sept. 18.
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How to play
1. New players must visit one of our participating retailers and complete a Registration ballot. Your ballot will include your lottery number. You may register as many numbers as you wish and those numbers are the ones you will play each week.
2. Tear off your portion of the ballot and place the registration portion of the ballot in the Treasure Chest Lottery box. Your number has now been registered and you can begin playing.
3. To play bring your toonie to a participating retailer, very clearly write your number on a sticker from the side of the Treasure Chest Lottery box, underline your number and attach it to your toonie. Once the numbered sticker is attached, drop it in the Treasure Chest Lottery box and you are entered for the week. (Please note: in order to win you must have played your toonie in the week your number is drawn). Repeat weekly to be entered into each weekly draw.
4. The cut-off time each week will be the Monday evening closing time of our participating retailers. There will be no exceptions. Draws from the registered numbers will be made every Wednesday before 11 a.m. The winner will be notified by telephone that morning. The winner will also be announced at participating locations, on our website and on Facebook.
5. Winners have 90 days after the draw date to claim their prize. Should a winner not claim their prize in 90 days the prize will be added to the pot for the draw directly following the 90 days.
6. The draw’s value is 50% of the toonies collected in a one week period. If the winning number has not been played the total is carried over to the next draw.
Source: The Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council
