Group Health lotto winners pick funky bunkie, not the cash

The winners of the Group Health Centre Trust Fund's inaugural Breast Health Bunkie Lottery have been announced.

Alison and Matt Barbeau chose the $60,000 Bunkie Package as their grand prize (a $20,000 Rockwood 160 bunkie from Bunkie Life, a family-operated business in Ontario, plus an additional $40,000 in cash to assist with construction and furnishing costs).

Alternatively, the winner could have opted for a $50,000 cash prize.

Having recently purchased a camp property, the Barbeaus say the win came at a perfect time.

“We had been considering a Bunkie for our property, and when I saw the ad on Instagram, I decided to buy a ticket. It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Alison said. 

Announced in June, The Bunkie Lottery raises funds and awareness for breast health in our community with proceeds from the lottery going towards replacing the mammography unit at GHC. Without replacement, patients could face longer wait times and reduced access to screenings.

“Early detection is vital. Delayed screening can lead to lost time in diagnosis, which is crucial in breast cancer cases,” said Kim Cadham, Manager of Diagnostic Imaging at GHC, in a news release.

GHC’s Diagnostic Imaging Department is home to the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), which serves as an asset not only to GHC patients but also to the broader community, performing over 6,000 mammograms annually.

The Ontario Breast Screening Program is a public service available to everyone, and using the service is not limited to GHC members or having a physician’s referral to schedule an appointment. Eligible individuals can call (705) 759-5657 to self-refer for their screening.