Natalie and Clem Bigras of Hanmer, Ontario are the grand prize winners of the Thunder Bay December 50/50 draw, taking home record-breaking $6,436,355 - (Supplied via TBRHSF)
Natalie and Clem Bigras are starting their new year in a life-changing way.
The couple from Hanmer, a town north of Sudbury, has won the grand prize of $6,436,355 from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation’s 50/50 draw.
“Being able to tell someone they’ve just won over $6 million is an indescribable experience,” says President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, Glenn Craig. “Hearing the raw emotion on the other end of the line is something I’ll carry with me forever. It’s a privilege to be part of such a life-changing moment for someone.”
The couple purchased their tickets just looking to support local hospitals.
“Seeing what the hospital does with the 50/50 money, it goes back to the hospital. When you live in these rural areas up north, so many people have to go south to get care,” explained the couple. “Now, they’re getting things done there.”
According to the foundation, this is the largest hospital 50/50 in all of Canada.
The past 16 months of 50/50 have all created new millionaires.
In 2024 the hospital raised $6,604,801 through the initiative benefiting hospitals across the region.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre was able to fund MRI upgrades while helping to support mammography unit upgrades at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.
Since its inception, the initiative has awarded over $50 million in prizes while transforming health care in the region.
