They say there’s a spot on the Fraser River where you can experience the excitement of panning for gold. But if you live in Sidney, you don’t have to go that far!
The Rotary Club of Sidney by the Sea is launching the “Rotary Gold Mine” – a brand new weekly draw for 2016 (and possibly beyond) that will see winners galore! Both individuals (it could be you!) and community groups on the Saanich Peninsula will win big. Registration to participate in the draw begins in January, and the first draw will be made on January 11th, 2016. Weekly winners will be announced in the Peninsula News Review.
Playing the game is easy. Contest participants simply register by purchasing a ticket number for
$2 at a local participating merchant. Each week, you visit one of the businesses taking part, pay $2 and play your number, depositing it in the contest box. On Mondays, the boxes are collected, the toonies counted and the winning number selected. The winner receives 50% of that week’s proceeds, 25% goes to the week’s featured charity and 25% goes to the Sidney by the Rotary Club to put towards additional projects in our community.
“We’re hoping Peninsula residents will embrace this,” says Bob Leitch, Project Leader for the Rotary club. “A toonie pretty much fits into everyone’s budget and the more people who play, the bigger the prize.”
Key to the administration of this new endeavour for the Rotary Club is the sponsorship and support being provided by Bank of Montreal’s Sidney branch. “Without their enthusiasm for this new initiative, getting the Gold Mine draw off the ground would have been considerably more challenging,” says Leitch.
Participating merchants include Sidney 7-Eleven, Sidney Cold Beer & Wine Liquor, Deep Cove Market, BJ’s Bakery, Melinda’s Biscotti, Brentwood Bay Metro Liquor, The Roost, Russ Hay’s (Sidney), Spelt’s Shell, and The Military Book Store.
This unique toonie draw will help make a difference to a broad spectrum of Saanich Peninsula groups, with particular emphasis on those benefitting youth and families and promoting health and fitness.
Over 25 groups will assist with the administrative side of the project, in effect “earning” their share of the proceeds. They include Cadet and Scout groups, youth sports and recreation organizations, health-related charities, and education support groups.
