The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation had the grand opening of the 20th Red Deer Hospital Lottery at this year’s Dream Home on Friday.
The Dream Home is valued at $874,895 and includes $35,000 worth of home furnishings donated by The Brick.
“We thought for the 20th anniversary it was a great idea the home is coming furnished,” said Alaine Martin, events manager for the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation.
The total value of all the prizes this year is over $1.1 million.
In addition to the grand prize of the Dream Home, other prizes include a $5,000 ‘gas for a year’ from Parkland Fuel, a patio heater and BBQ from ATCO Gas, two plane tickets to fly anywhere from WestJet and more.
The Dream Home is located in the newly developed Laredo community on the east end of the City, and was built by Sorento Custom Homes. The house has three bedrooms and two and half bathrooms.
This is the fourth year that the Foundation has partnered with Sorento.
The house is open for the public to view March 9th to April 1st daily from 1 to 5 p.m. From April 2nd to June 24th it will be opened on weekends Friday to Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., and is closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
The lottery has been renamed this year to the Red Deer Hospital Lottery as opposed to the Hospitals’ Lottery.
“Roughly 50 per cent of the patients that are discharged from our facility are from outside Red Deer or Red Deer County, so it means that our facility is really regional and that the impact of these beds really touches our entire zone,” said Robert Swanson, director of critical care and medicine inpatients at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.
They wanted to better reflect that funds serve the entire region, not just Red Deer, added Martin.
There is also the MegaBucks 50 Lottery where people have the chance to win $250,000, half of up to $500,000 of an increasing jackpot, with a minimum payout of $100,000.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards purchasing innovative patient care beds that improve safety, comfort and functionality while reducing pain.
“Our population is changing; these are not just run-of-the-mill hospital beds. There is a lot of embedded technology in them,” said Swanson, referring to the critical care population.
He mentioned that the beds are more comfortable and reduce risks to patients for potential falls, as well as to staff. The beds also have a therapeutic air surface that helps prevent ulcer sores.
“They have additional features on them as well, again thinking of our populations that we serve. They are a little bit lower to the ground and support mobility in different ways. The mattresses are air mattresses as opposed to traditional foam mattresses, features that are really important, as well as the ability to support staff, to reduce potential injuries and make it a little bit easier,” said Swanson.
Last year’s lottery proceeds allowed them to purchase 28 new beds. This year Swanson said they hope to buy 17 new beds.
The lower number this year is because the critical beds cost around $40,000.
The beds will replace existing beds that are older and no longer sufficiently meet the needs of the Hospital’s needs. They will be donated to rural hospitals within the zone to replace the oldest beds in use within the zone.
There are currently 104,000 tickets available for the Dream Home Lottery. The cut-off to purchase tickets is June 24th and the final draws begin the morning of July 6th at the Dream Home.
Tickets are $35 each, three for $75, five for $100 or 15 for $250.
NEW HOSPITAL BEDS - Shannon Hazuka, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation volunteer, shows off the hospital bed on display in the garage of the Dream House. Funds from ticket sales will go towards the purchase of 17 new beds for the RDRHC. Michelle Falk/Red Deer Express
