Notes

Oilers Increase Capacity to 50/50 Raffle in Advance of Game 4 Against Blackhawks

Article content EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation says its server provider has increased capacity for its online 50/50 raffle in anticipation of Friday's hockey game.



Content of the article On Wednesday, officials announced that the draw "shattered an all-time record" and was forced to close earlier after it exceeded the maximum allowed by the server provider's ticket sales.
Server list


Oilers expand capacity for 50/50 raffles in advance of Game 4 against Blackhawks Back to video



"We are so grateful to our fans right now that we have stepped up like this," Janet Riopel, chairman of the board of the foundation's community foundation announced on Thursday.



Article content "We were excited to get this online opportunity, but wow. We were thrilled to be able access the hub city... but wow, this is an extraordinary opportunity. We're so, so fortunate."



The Oilers Entertainment Group announced that the final jackpot for Game 3 of the series between the Blackhawks and the Oilers was more than $5.4 million One lucky winner taking home about $2.7 million. There's still no confirmation of an official winner.



The raffle held on Monday night for Game 2 beat the previous record for the biggest sports raffle, as the total was more than $3.2 million.



Content of the article The previous record was held by Toronto Raptors fans when a 50/50 raffle reached $2 million during the 2019 NBA Finals, the year the team took home the championship.



Natalie Minckler, executive director of the Oilers foundation, said that it had no expectations for its 50/50, which was made possible because Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis approved online sales in July.



She said, "We hadn't put revenue projections on it because it was brand new for us." "We were not sure, so we were a little bit conservative. We didn't think we'd be able to see the volume we do.



Minckler said that staff have been working 24/7 with Ascend Fundraising Solutions to increase the capacity in order to be ready for the game on Friday.



Officials said they had increased capacity by 2 1/2 times in order to sell the maximum number of tickets.



"The expectation is - even though Oilers fans have proven they can defy any expectations that the server will be able to handle the demand," said Tim Shipton, senior vice-president of communications for the Oilers Entertainment Group.



Both Riopel and Minckler said that the money they collected through the raffles will be used by the foundation to support organizations that work with vulnerable populations in downtown Edmonton as well as youth sports throughout northern Alberta.



Minckler stated that the foundation is overwhelmed with the generosity of Albertans.



"It's been incredible to see the response and support from Oilers fans across the province for this initiative," she said.



This report was published by The Canadian Press on Aug. 6, 2020.


Read More: https://www.serverlist101.com/