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Winner of Rotary Clubs of Langley $142,900 50-50 draw didn’t believe it at first

‘I’m 78 and I’ve never won anything big’ said Nanaimo’s Billie Collinge
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A hopeful 50-50 ticket buyer filled out the contact information at a pop-up Rotary ticket booth in front of the Otter Co-op on Aug. 7. (Langley Advance Times file)

When Billie Collinge of Nanaimo saw the email telling her she had won the $142,900 jackpot for Rotary Clubs of Langley Mega 50-50 draw on Aug. 19, she didn’t take it seriously at first.

“I’d forgotten about it,” she told the Langley Advance Times. She wondered if it was some kind of a scam.

Then she spoke with the club contact by phone.

“He convinced me he was serious, and it was real,” Collinge recalled.

“I was very surprised. I’m 78, and I’ve never won anything big.”

After that, she had to convince her husband, Len.

“He didn’t believe it,” she laughed.

Collinge had bought her ticket online after reading the money raised would be going to support several charities.

“Rotary is a good club and they do a lot of good things,” Collinge commented.

She said the winnings will help the couple retire some debts, and “look after some medical needs not covered by insurance.”

Asked if they might go away on a trip, she said, “we’ll see. We haven’t gone anywhere since COVID.”

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Jackpot for Rotary Clubs of Langley Mega 50-50 draw continues to grow

Jeff Morfitt, chairperson of the Langley Rotary 50/50 Mega Draw Committee, said it was the largest draw ever, at $285,800.

“The winner of half of it is very excited, as you’d expect, but more important to me is that we’ve earned over $113,000 [after costs] that will be used by our four Langley Rotary Clubs to fund our service projects, including financial support for many Langley community service organizations,” Morfitt said.

“They include really important youth-at-risk programs like Foundry Langley and Boys and Girls Club. We also support Meals on Wheels, Langley Hospice, Starfish Pack Program, Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation, and many others.”

Morfitt issued a “big thanks” to the draw sponsor, B&B Contracting.

He estimated Rotary members in Langley put in over 1,400 volunteer hours into making the draw a success.

“I’m looking forward to an even bigger draw next year!” Morfitt enthused.

READ MORE: VIDEO: Langley couple wins $125,000 jackpot in local Rotary 50/50


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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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