PROVIDENCE BAY/SPRING BAY—A very generous donation of the cash prize back to the Manitoulin Secondary School (MSS) Manitoulin Metal #6865 Robotics Team, by the winner of the first of three 50/50 draws (in a fundraiser being hosted by the Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club), was made on January 28. It also means that close to the expected amount to be raised by the team over the three draws has already been accumulated.
The Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club, spearheaded by vice-president Brian Mitchell along with MSS Robotics team coach/mentor Yana Bauer, organized and put the 50/50 draw together.
“We sold a total of 718 tickets for this first of three draws,” said Lion president Chris Bryan. The Lions 50/50 draw tickets are $5 each and a total of 1,500 tickets will be available over the three draws. He explained previously that if the tickets are completely sold out for the three draws, it would mean $3,750 for the MSS team.
However, at the first draw held January 28, “Angie Moggy of Mindemoya won a prize of $1,795 and donated it back to the team. In total with our share of the draw going to the MSS team of $1,795, after all expenses are paid, this was almost more than the team would have expected to receive from the three draws in total,” explained Mr. Bryan.
“Yes, it is a lot of money to win,” Ms. Moggy told The Expositor. “I felt like it should go to the kids, they can use it.”
Ms. Bauer told The Expositor, “It is incredible. I was listening to the livestream of the draw while I was driving and received a text a few minutes later so I pulled over to the side of the road. We were told the winning prize was donated back to the team. The kids were so excited. Everyone is overwhelmed with the generosity of Angie to do this. It definitely inspired the members of the team and renewed our momentum.”
“The whole Island community has been so supportive of the team,” stated Ms. Bauer.
“We are absolutely over the moon about how well this all turned out,” stated Mr. Bryan. Tickets will now be sold for two more draws, taking place February 25 and March 30. “In this next draw, February 25, we will be selling a smaller number of tickets, just over 600, so the take home prize for the person with the winning ticket will be $1,500 if all the tickets are sold.”
The Lions fundraising campaign for the MSS team is being carried out to help with the expenses of the team which qualified for the FIRST Robotics World championship again this year in Houston, Texas. Last fall, the Lions held a very successful fundraising golf tournament at Brookwood Brae Golf Course in Mindemoya raising over $8,500 for the MSS team.
Ms. Bauer and members of the MSS team, along with parents of team members, will be at the Foodland grocery store in Mindemoya every weekend. They will have a table set up every weekend from Friday through Sunday. They will be on hand from 5-7 pm on Friday and from 2-4 pm every Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are also available from all members of the Lions Club or any of the parents/members of the MSS Robotics team.
