Boise – During a live presentation at the Special Olympics Festival at the Centre on the Grove in Boise, Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson presented Bruce Schrepple, Chief Financial Officer of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games with a donation check for $7,539.50. More than 5,300 Idahoans who purchased and donated a portion of their winnings from a one-of-a-kind Idaho Lottery ScratchTM ticket created specifically for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games helped to raise these funds.
“Today, the Idaho Lottery and the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games share a common theme. Today we are celebrating all of our players and participants,” said Anderson. “The athletes of these Games have shown great heart and courage to compete as have our players who made donations to support them and help make these Games a success in Idaho.”
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games ScratchTM tickets went on sale in late August 2008. Designed in house by the Lottery’s graphic arts department, and with approval from the 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games, this unique lottery ticket is the first in North America where players had an opportunity to donate a portion of their winnings to benefit a non-profit organization or event.
“On behalf of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Organizing Committee, I am pleased to accept this check from the Idaho Lottery,” said Schrepple. “Hosting the world for an event of this magnitude would not be possible without the support and generosity of its host community. Thank you Idaho and all the Lottery players for your contribution to helping stage this remarkable event.”
As a state agency whose primary beneficiaries are Idaho public schools and buildings, the Idaho Lottery does not have the authority to provide financial support to non-profit entities such as the World Winter Games. Encouraging Lottery players to donate their ticket winnings proved the only reasonable means by which the Idaho Lottery could support this state sanctioned event. This particular ScratchTM game will be the first and only Idaho Lottery game of its kind to benefit any Idaho non-profit organization.
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games ScratchTM game is still on sale at many Idaho Lottery retail locations and will remain so until the final top prize of $3,000 is claimed. In addition to the $7,539.50 donated today, any additional funds raised by the ticket will also be donated to Organizing Committee when the game ends.
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ABOUT THE IDAHO LOTTERY
The Idaho Lottery responsibly provides a variety of entertaining games featuring Powerball, Scratch™ tickets, and PullTabs with a high degree of integrity to maximize the dividend for Idaho public schools and buildings. Since it’s inception in 1989, the Idaho Lottery has sold more than $1.7 billion in sales, awarded over $1 billion in prizes to players, returned more than $100 million in retail commissions, and distributed more than $402 million in Lottery dividends to state public schools and buildings. To learn more, please visit www.idaholottery.com.
ABOUT THE 2009 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES:
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in Idaho, USA, 7-13 February 2009 and more than 2,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries are expected to compete. The World Winter Games will be the largest multi-day winter sporting event ever held in Idaho. Competition will take place in seven winter sports - Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Speed Skating. Competition and other activities will take place in communities and venues throughout Idaho including but not limited to Boise, Sun Valley and McCall. For more information, visit www.2009WorldGames.org.
