Peterborough resident Marcus Harvey is almost $69,000 richer thanks to the Peterborough Humane Society’s 50/50 lottery, which raised a record-breaking total of $137,510.
As the lucky winner of the lottery’s fifth edition, which ran from April 9 to May 15, Harvey took home half of the total — $68,755 to be exact.
The other half of the funds raised will support animals in need at Peterborough Humane Society, which does not receive government or institutional funding for its operations. Proceeds from the lottery will help cover the cost of food, medical treatment, and safe shelter while animals wait for their forever homes.
The lottery also featured the Marlin Travel & Collette Ruffle, offering a $5,000 travel voucher redeemable through Marlin Travel Peterborough toward any Collette package, with M. Fowler of Norwood the winner.
Since it launched in spring 2024, the Peterborough Humane Society 50/50 lottery has given away $166,000 in cash prizes and $20,000 in travel vouchers from Marlin Travel Peterborough. With tickets purchased from people across Ontario, this spring’s lottery more than doubled the previous record of $57,575 set last fall.
“We are absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of this community,” said Peterborough Humane Society CEO Shawn Morey in a media release.
“When we launched the PHS 50/50 Lottery in 2024, we hoped it would grow into something meaningful,” Morey added. “What this community has done this spring is beyond anything we could have imagined. To go from a record of $57,575 to a jackpot of $137,510 in a single season is extraordinary, and it speaks to how much the people of this region care about the animals in our care.”
Along with everyone who bought a ticket and helped promote the lottery, Morey thanked Marlin Travel, Collette, and Miskin Law for supporting the lottery, with the spring edition marking the first season with Miskin Law as the official sponsor of two early bird prizes of $1,500 and $2,000. According to the Peterborough Humane Society, the addition of the early bird prizes “generated significant excitement and helped drive record-breaking ticket sales throughout the campaign.”
Each year, around 1,500 animals come through the doors of the Peterborough Humane Society, located at 1999 Technology Drive, to receive veterinary care, vaccinations, microchipping, and spay-and-neuter services prior to adoption.
