Cougars VP Business Andy Beesley presents cheque to  Joshua Pratt – photo courtesy Prince George Cougars

Prince George, B.C. – Nineteen year old Joshua Pratt of Prince George  is one very lucky  teen.

He went to a Prince George Cougars game  last weekend,  and came home a big winner.

“When I  walked into CN Centre, I saw that the  50/50 draw  was about  $11 thousand dollars, and I thought, I’ve gotta  get a ticket.”  So, he borrowed $20 dollars from his girlfriend and  made his purchase.

But the jackpot would  grow,  by the time the  ticket sales had been  closed, PG Cougars 50/50 Society  had collected more than  $31 thousand dollars meaning the  winning ticket would be worth  just over  $15 and a half  grand.

Then the  winning number was  revealed, “I couldn’t believe  that I won,  I was shaking  when I signed the receipt” says Joshua Pratt, “I was pretty quiet about it, I just left quietly.”

His girlfriend  only wanted the $20 back, “She didn’t want any more than that.”

It’s not the first time he’s purchased  a 50/50 ticket at a Prince George Cougars game,  he bought one at the Teddy Bear toss “My boss won it and he was sitting right beside me, so that was pretty cool,  and I bought one this time, and he was sitting right beside me when I won it.”

So, either  Joshua, or his boss   can consider themselves a good luck charm.

Pratt works for Ridgeline Roofing and  lives at home.  He says he plans to save the money  and put it  towards the purchase of  his first house.

The Prince George Cougars made a major investment in the new electronic system for the 50/50 draws, it is an investment that  is  paying dividends not only to  some lucky fan in the stands, but to the community as well.

Andy Beesley, Vice President-Business  for the Prince Cougars says the investment in the  electronic system was partly to increase the  fan experience at the games, ” but more importantly, to create a way to dramatically increase the amount of donations the Prince George Cougars 50/50 Society can distribute to worthwhile causes.”

And there have been a lot of donations.

This season  alone,  the  total  jackpots have topped $314 thousand dollars,  meaning  winners have  left the  game with  more than $157 thousand  dollars, with the balance being available for a number of non-profit  groups.

Since September  of 2014, when the New Ice Age  started at the CN Centre, the grand total of  jackpots  is just shy of $678 thousand dollars.

So far this year, the Prince George Cougars 50/50 Society  has  distributed funds to:

• Cariboo Cougars Major Midget Team (Their parents also provide 100% of the volunteers to be trained and to run the system for the entire year)
• PG Minor Hockey Association
• PGSS Cheer Team
• Peak Li Moond Metis Society
• Jumpstart

Beesley adds, “Our team has said from the beginning, we are committed to making the PG Cougars a role model organization that fully respects and contributes to our City and entire region, and the 50/50 system is another example of the depths we are taking to walk the talk.”

As for Joshua Pratt, he says  there haven’t been any offers from folks who want to be his new best friend, “I have had  some folks joke about when  am I  taking them out for dinner,  that sort of thing”  and says  the reality of  this win hasn’t really  sunk in yet  “When I put the money in the bank, that’s when I really realized  the  win, but still, it really hasn’t  sunk in.”