The hockey team is not doing well on the ice but that's done nothing to diminish ticket sales for the Prince George Spruce Kings show home lottery.
The Spruce Kings anticipate tickets sales will hit 5,700 by Christmas Eve, which would leave just 2,800 of the $100 tickets to sell, leading up to the draw date, April 14.
"It's incredible, we're sitting close to the 5,300 mark (as of afternoon Tuesday) going into the busiest two weeks in December," said Jim Young, the Spruce Kings sales and marketing manager. "Once again, the community is standing behind the club through the show home and is buying those tickets to ensure that the club will be here in the future."
Now in its 29th year, the show home lottery is the largest fundraiser for the community-owned Spruce Kings. It is the lifeblood of the team, annually raising more than half the team's budget to pay the costs of competing in the B.C. Hockey League.
"The Spruce Kings have very deep roots in the community," Young said. "Players who date back to 1972 who started out with the Spruce Kings continue to live in Prince George and it's incredible to see the amount of support you truly get through the house, not just locally but provincially.
"People connected to the club who are living in areas like Victoria or Nanaimo show their support for the Spruce Kings. But it comes down to the people in Prince George, who buy these tickets every year."
Built by Fair Value Homes, the show home is built in the Aberdeen Glen subdivision at 2620 Links Drive. It features 1,520 square feet of living space on the main floor and is valued at $392,500 (including HST and land taxes).
Prince George businesses that have contributed to the home and its furnishings include: Ebb Construction, Curtis Elite Security, Northern Hardware, McInnis Lighting, Gienow Windows, Van Way Cabinets, Rona, Closets Done Right, Canadian Tire, W.R. Ventures, Direct Art, General Paint, Replay Message Centre, and Aberdeen Glen Golf Course.
"I have to thank our suppliers because these people every year donate these appliances or put in these alarm systems to help the Spruce Kings out, and Aberdeen Glen subdivision and Fair Value Homes really stepped up to lower some of our costs," Young said.
The Spruce Kings received permission for the province to sell the tickets for six months, extending the draw into April, two months beyond the usual draw date.
"We did fall into a few issues when the government applied the HST (12 per cent tax), which cost the club $40,000 extra," said Young. "We did increase the tickets (from 7,500 to 8,500) to try to offset some of our rising costs.
"We've been averaging 73 tickets sold per day and we need 33 tickets sold every day to sell out, so we're on a pretty good pace."
Tickets are available at the show home, Canadian Tire, Pine Centre Mall, Spruceland News, Evergreen Pharmacy, Hart Drugs and at the Spruce Kings office. The home is open to the public for tours every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
