When Andrea Cake got the call around this time last year to tell her she won the Hospice Dream Home Lottery, she couldn't quite believe it.
Now after settling into the new Stillwater Crescent home with boyfriend Mederic Poirier and their children, it really is a dream come true.
"It was amazing, absolutely amazing," said Cake, recalling how she felt after she got the call.
Cake owned a mobile home in College Heights trailer park when her family made the transition to the dream home.
"We had so much room but we actually did fill it quite fast," laughed Cake. "The kids have their own rooms, and there's lots of room for them to run around. We have a beautiful backyard and last year all my nieces and nephews came over to slide down the hill. This home is amazing."
Cake and Poirier have two children together, Riley, 2, and Tessa, 11 months old, and Poirier has a son, Stefan, 7, who lives with his mom in another town and visits often.
The family is settling in for the long haul.
"This is the perfect location," said Cake. "There's tons of kids on our block. Our little ones have a bunch of friends here and they're so young, so when they start kindergarten they'll already have friends, so it's perfect."
Cake and Poirier are both chefs and Poirier works in camp in Kitimat.
"We are so far ahead of the game," said Cake, talking about being mortgage free.
Cake has got some advice for those who want to win the next dream home lottery. Never under estimate the power of positive thinking.
"I just kept saying in my mind, I'm going to win that dream home, I'm going to win that dream home and then I actually did," said Cake. "I tried to never doubt it and then when I actually won it I thought 'no way'."
Proceeds from the Dream Home Lottery support 30 per cent of the beds at the non-profit society's Hospice House. The Prince George Hospice Society relies on donations and support from the public to ensure that it provides the best in hospice palliative care for its guests, and grief support for those in need.
Tickets are $100 each and still available for this year's Dream Home Lottery valued at $480,000. The home comes with main floor furnishings and master bedroom bed and night stands from RK Furniture Gallery, plus a double fridge/freezer, bar fridge, stove and dishwasher from Fortwood Homes and City Furniture.
There's $500,602 in total prizes available, including the house and early bird draws, with 8,999 tickets available to be sold. Grand prize draw date is Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.
There is also 50/50 tickets for $20 each and 10,000 are available. The 50/50 draw date is Jan. 8 at 8 p.m.
Dream Home Lottery tickets can be purchased online on the secure site at hospicedreamhome.ca, or over the phone at 1-866-419-7604 with Visa or Mastercard. In-person purchases can be made at the Dream Home located at 7648 Stillwater Crescent in Prince George from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day or the Hospice Society Office, located at 1506 Ferry Avenue in Prince George, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
