Prince George man wins Spruce Kings Show Home Lottery

Calling it a life-changing event, Mark Hippe is the grand prize winner in the Spruce Kings Show Home Lottery.

The 51-year-old Prince George man found out Friday afternoon he’s now the owner of a $865,000 home on 2958 Links Drive in the Aberdeen Glen subdivision.

Spruce Kings executive director of business operations Kyle Anderson drew Hippe’s name from the barrel in the garage of the show home at noon Friday. Anderson called Hippe’s cell number and got a recording but left him a message. He was at home on his day off and listened to the message, which gave details of his ticket number and when he bought it, but he still didn’t believe his ticket had been drawn until after he called Anderson back.

Hippe’s ticket was among 13,718 tickets sold for the draw, just 282 shy of a sellout. He bought his ticket on Wednesday, the final day for ticket sales, at Canadian Tire. A single-day record 796 tickets were sold that day.

“It was a last-minute buy,” Hippe said. “I had bought tickets in previous years and I was in Canadian Tire buying a vacuum of all things and I saw the lady there and said I should get a ticket, but she was busy there and I just thought I’d come back in a couple days.

“I left Canadian Tire and went for a hike with my girlfriend and she kept getting these texts about it being the last day, so I just said let’s go back there and buy a ticket, and the rest is history.”

Hippe and his girlfriend Alexandra, who started dating six months ago, each bought tickets and they promised each other if either of them one they would move in together.

“I was not expecting to win, obviously” said Hippe, who works as an operator for United Initiators, an industrial plant that makes hydrogen peroxide for the pulp mills. “You buy those tickets and I thought I was giving money back to the community, to the Spruce Kings, and if that was all it was I’m fine with that. Winning the home was a bonus. It really hasn’t sunk in yet. My phone was blowing up pretty hard.”

Built by Hopson Construction, the custom-built 1,451-square-foot home includes furnishings and appliances. Hippe loves the house and its features but the top selling point for him is its location, bordering on Aberdeen Glen Golf Course.

“I’m probably going to move in for a awhile, and enjoy it,” Hippe said. “They told me when I went up there somebody is eyeballing it and wants to buy it, but I think I want to just think about it for a few months and weigh the options.

“I do golf at Aberdeen, and there’s a couple guys from work who live up there and they’re blasting me, saying we’re neighbours now and we’re going to have to golf all the time. It’s pretty life-changing. I’m renting right now from a buddy of mine, so this is kind of an upgrade. It’s pretty wicked. It’s nice. The fact it’s on the golf course is a big deal for me, being right by the driving range. Everything about it is nice.”

Hippe was born in Saskatoon and moved to PG in the early 2000s to take a silviculture job as a tree planter/forest firefighter. He plays in the Prince George Rec Hockey League masters division for Workforce Development.

The Show Home Lottery is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Spruce Kings and proceeds provide over half of the community-owned team’s operating budget that allows them to play in the BC Hockey League. Hippe says he will keep buying tickets for the Spruce Kings Show Home and Rotary Hospice Dream Home draw.

“It’s my way of donating charity and gambling at the same time,” he said. “The money stays in the community and it’s going to a good cause.”

Tickets are still available for the Spruce Kings’ second Mega 50-50 draw. The deadline for sales is May 14 at 10 p.m. and the draw will be made on May 16 at 11:45 a.m.