By Bud Edwards
Our week long community festival and Canada’s largest all cash smallmouth bass tournament achieved a significant milestone in 2004 when the total prize money won broke the million dollar plateau.
Since it’s inception in 1995, when only 47 teams participated, few would have dared dream that just ten years later winning teams would have cashed prize cheques totaling more than $1 million.
Chairman Doug Cain thought for a moment, did some quick math is his head and asked if the million dollar figure included the Reel Raffle.
“No, that figure is just the cash prizes won by anglers” was the almost instant reply from the number crunchers.
“So, if we included the value of Reel Raffle prizes, we must be somewhere around $1.5 Million” Doug surmised. Since it’s beginning in 1996 Reel Raffle Lottery winners have taken home 9 boat, motor & trailer packages plus at least 135 other prizes worth $449,999.00 he calculated.
“This year (2005) we will be adding another $222,500.00 to the grand total pushing it close to $1 Million” he added.
“I wonder if we can break the $2 Million plateau in 2006” Doug wondered. “That sure is a long way from the $47,000 we had to work with back in ’95. Amazing, simple amazing” he concluded.
Our week long community festival and Canada’s largest all cash smallmouth bass tournament achieved a significant milestone in 2004 when the total prize money won broke the million dollar plateau.
Since it’s inception in 1995, when only 47 teams participated, few would have dared dream that just ten years later winning teams would have cashed prize cheques totaling more than $1 million.
Chairman Doug Cain thought for a moment, did some quick math is his head and asked if the million dollar figure included the Reel Raffle.
“No, that figure is just the cash prizes won by anglers” was the almost instant reply from the number crunchers.
“So, if we included the value of Reel Raffle prizes, we must be somewhere around $1.5 Million” Doug surmised. Since it’s beginning in 1996 Reel Raffle Lottery winners have taken home 9 boat, motor & trailer packages plus at least 135 other prizes worth $449,999.00 he calculated.
“This year (2005) we will be adding another $222,500.00 to the grand total pushing it close to $1 Million” he added.
“I wonder if we can break the $2 Million plateau in 2006” Doug wondered. “That sure is a long way from the $47,000 we had to work with back in ’95. Amazing, simple amazing” he concluded.