Holmes draws Dream Lottery home winner

Million dollar payout - Brenda and John Held of London will be choosing between a prize home package worth $1.3 million or a cash option of $1 million after Brenda Held's number was drawn this morning in the Dream Lottery. From left: Doug Wastell of Wastell Homes, John Held, Dream Lottery winner Brenda Held, T.V. personality Sherry Holmes, London Health Sciences President & CEO John MacFarlane, T.V. personality Mike Holmes Jr., and Sue Wastell of Wastell Homes
Million dollar payout - Brenda and John Held of London will be choosing between a prize home package worth $1.3 million or a cash option of $1 million after Brenda Held's number was drawn this morning in the Dream Lottery. From left: Doug Wastell of Wastell Homes, John Held, Dream Lottery winner Brenda Held, T.V. personality Sherry Holmes, London Health Sciences President & CEO John MacFarlane, T.V. personality Mike Holmes Jr., and Sue Wastell of Wastell Homes

LONDON, Ont. – Members of TV’s first family of home building and renovation, Mike Holmes Jr. and his sister Sherry Holmes, were on hand in the Dream Lottery home at 2337 Humberside Common today to draw the numbers for the lottery’s two biggest prizes.

An October visit by Sherry and Mike Holmes Sr. to the Wastell Homes-built prize home helped create quite a buzz around the lottery. Dream Lottery went on to sell 87 per cent of available tickets, pushing the net proceeds for the lottery to almost $29 million since 1996. Sherry says it’s great to see a “Holmes Approved Home” builder like Wastell so involved in their community and she’s not surprised that offering such an impressive house helped in the lottery’s continued success.

Sherry kicked off the draws at 8:45 a.m. as she drew 50/50 PlusTM ticket number 5140412. The ticket was purchased by Kevin Harding of London, who will receive $440,085 - which is half of the $880,170 prize pool.

Lottery officials could not immediately reach Harding for a reaction to his win.

Mike Holmes Jr., who visited the beneficiary hospitals prior to the lottery launch this past fall, says he was impressed by the amazing work of doctors, researchers and staff and how they help change people’s lives every day.  At 9:15 a.m., he changed a life too, by drawing ticket number 170091 for the Dream Lottery’s Ultimate Grand Prize - the choice between the “Holmes Approved Home” with a Mercedes-Benz GCL C300 in the driveway, or $1 million cash. The winning ticket holder is Brenda Held of London.

“No way,” Held exclaimed when Sherri Bochinni from Children’s Health Foundation first reached her by phone.

After Held and her husband John came to the home later that morning, it was still sinking in.

“When she (Sherri Bocchini) put Mike Holmes Jr. on the phone, and I heard the cheering in the background, I thought this might be real,” says Held. “But it still doesn’t feel real.”

As the Helds toured the home, the Knights-themed basement rink struck a chord with John, a retired firefighter, who played for the Knights for three years starting with the 1971-72 season. Their son Ryan also played for the team in his overage year, being traded to the Knights from the Grayhounds in 2000-01. Brenda, a retired skating instructor, said it would be great to see their grandchildren playing in the rink, but that her favorite room was still the kitchen.

Both Helds said that they buy tickets primarily to support the hospitals, not thinking that a win would come true. Brenda Held says they are aware of the many good things done at London hospitals because of family members who work there.

Winning numbers for the lottery’s other final draw prizes were pulled yesterday (January 17) at the office of Deloitte LLP, 255 Queens Avenue, Suite 700, London, Ontario. All winning numbers were drawn under the supervision of accountants of record from the firm Deloitte LLP.

The primary purchaser of each winning ticket will be notified by mail by Deloitte LLP. Major prize winners may also be notified by phone. In addition, a list of major prize winners will be published in Our London on Thursday, January 26. A complete list of winners will be posted online at www.dreamitwinit.ca the same day and a printed list of winners is available upon request by calling 1-866-319-9818. All lottery rules, along with details on prizes and cash alternatives are listed on the lottery website at www.dreamitwinit.ca

More Quotes:

“Winning the Dream can change someone’s life, but the real impact is when Dream Lottery supporters buy tickets - and by doing so, make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many children and their families at our hospitals.” Sherri Bocchini, Chief Development Officer, Children’s Health Foundation

“Dream Lottery is an opportunity to act locally and make a difference globally. Its impact goes further than the amazing care at our hospitals, by also enabling breakthrough research and advanced medical training.” Michelle Campbell, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation
 
“From our home builder and lottery suppliers, to the Holmes Group and - most of all - the people who buy Dream tickets, community support continues to help our hospitals care for the most critically injured and medically complex patients from across the region.John MacFarlane, President & CEO, London Health Sciences Foundation

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Together, Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph's Health Care London and London Health Sciences Centre, receive more than 1.5 million patient visits from across Southwestern Ontario and beyond each year. In addition to caring for London-area residents, the hospitals are referral centres providing specialized services in support of the excellent care of the region's community hospitals.

Dream Lottery - lottery licence: 8308                50/50 PlusTM - lottery licence: 8310

For More Information about St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation:
Laura Janecka, Marketing and Communications Officer
(519) 646-6000 (ext. 65449) or Laura.Janecka@sjhc.london.on.ca     www.sjhcfoundation.org

For More Information about Dream Lottery or London Health Sciences Foundation:
Alexander Peterson, Manager, Public Relations
(519) 685-8527 or Alexander.Peterson@lhsc.on.ca        www.lhsf.ca

For More Information about Children’s Health Foundation:
Shaun McGill, Communications Director
(519) 432-8062 (ext. 125) or smcgill@childhealth.ca    www.childhealth.ca