MEDIA RELEASE DRAYTON FESTIVAL THEATRE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May was a lucky month for one long-time theatregoer! Marcia Haworth of Rockwood, Ontario is the winner of Drayton Entertainment’s May online Ultimate 50/50 raffle. She took home an incredible prize of $100,505. The winning ticket number was #99415876009.
“My husband and I keep staring at each other in disbelief saying, ‘did that really happen?’,” said Haworth. “We won the 50/50 draw at a Drayton show one time and the jackpot was $300, and we were thrilled. But to win $100,000 in the Ultimate 50/50 is unbelievable … and so wonderful!”
Haworth has been attending productions for over 30 years. Her first show was Brighton Beach Memoirs during the inaugural 1991 Season at the Drayton Festival Theatre. Marcia and her husband usually attend at least four shows annually, often with another couple. They estimate that they have seen almost 120 Drayton productions over the years.
“After we called our four children to tell them the news, we called our friends who we usually go to the theatre with,” said Haworth. “They were shocked, and so happy for us. What a great surprise!”
The production of Brighton Beach Memoirs that Haworth saw all those years ago was the first production Artistic Director Alex Mustakas directed at the Drayton Festival Theatre. Haworth connected with Mustakas for a cheque presentation in front of the theatre this morning.
“When I found out that our May winner has been coming to the theatre since the very first season, it reminded me again how lucky we are to have such loyal patrons,” said Mustakas. “We’ve been doing 50/50 draws since the early seasons in Drayton. The raffle has become a signature part of the Drayton experience at all our theatres now. It’s been fun to take that tradition online and enjoy some entertainment and excitement as the jackpot grows each month. And extra fun for me to contact the winner and deliver the news that they’ve won the jackpot. Congratulations Marcia!”
The May Ultimate 50/50 draw launched at 12:01 a.m. on May 1 and ran through 10:00 a.m. on May 31. The jackpot grew rapidly in the final days leading up to the draw – it jumped almost $50,000 in the final 72 hours from $58,725 to $100,505.
Drayton Entertainment’s Ultimate 50/50 raffle launched in March. Diane Halstead of Cambridge took home a prize of $83,470 that month. In April, Shawky Fahel of Waterloo won $139,020. Fahel then donated $15,000 of his prize money back to Drayton Entertainment to be pledged towards the not-for-profit charitable organization’s youth education and outreach initiatives to advance inclusion for marginalized and underrepresented groups in the community.
The popular online 50/50 raffle will run again in June, so audiences will have another opportunity to enjoy some entertainment value, support a worthy cause, and be entered to win a cash prize. Tickets are available for purchase now online at https://drayton5050.com, with a cut-off of 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30. The draw will take place at 12:00 p.m. that day. The jackpot is updated online in real-time and grows as more people participate – the published amount is the winner’s take home prize.
Participants can select from the following three ticket pack options:
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Regular: 3 tickets for $10
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Discount: 10 tickets for $20
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Ultimate Savings: 50 tickets for $50
Tickets may be purchased by individuals 18 years or older and located in the Province of Ontario at the time of purchase. All ticket sales are final and ticket buyers will receive a receipt via email after purchasing that will list all numbers associated with the purchased tickets. Tickets will be sold using an electronic raffle system approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and supplied by Bump Worldwide Inc. Raffle License AGCO #RAF1207688. Please play responsibly. Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline 1-888-230-3505 or visit www.connexontario.ca.
For complete details including rules of participation and frequently asked questions, please visit: https://drayton5050.com.
In an email to the Grand at 101 Amanda Kind Director of Marketing with Drayton Entertainment said “Haworth will be donating $10,000 of her prize money back to Drayton Entertainment specifically to the youth programs that we run. It’s incredibly generous of her.”
FULL INTERVIEW WITH MARCIA HAWORTH:
