Thunder Bay 50/50 Ticket Buyers Can Now Add a $2 Donation for Animals in Need
Published Thursday, July 30, 2026
L:R, Shelby Wideman, Digital Engagement Officer, Foundation President & CEO, Glenn Craig, OSPCA Northwest Executive Director Shawna Beaulieu and Charitable Gaming Director, Torin Gunnell.
Supporters of the Thunder Bay 50/50 now have a new way to help animals in need. Beginning Friday, July 31 at 11:30 a.m., anyone purchasing a ticket at thunderbay5050.ca for August's draw can choose to add an optional $2 donation in support of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre.
The donation is a voluntary add-on at checkout and is entirely separate from the lottery itself — ticket prices, odds, and the jackpot are unchanged. One hundred per cent of donations goes directly to the Northwest Animal Centre.
The new donation option builds on a partnership launched last year, when the Thunder Bay 50/50 used its platform to feature adoptable animals from the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre to help them find forever homes.
The launch comes at a critical time. As wildfires continue to affect communities across Northwestern Ontario, the Northwest Animal Centre has been providing emergency boarding for pets displaced by evacuations, distributing emergency pet food through hubs in Thunder Bay and Dryden, and delivering veterinary care to evacuated animals.
The Foundation's thoughts are with everyone affected across Northwestern Ontario. As families face displacement, support for emergency pet care can help provide one less worry during an already difficult time.
"The Thunder Bay 50/50 exists because people in this region show up for one another," said Torin Gunnell, Director, Charitable Gaming at the Health Sciences Foundation. "Our supporters already strengthen local healthcare every time they buy a ticket. Now, with two dollars and one click, they can help vulnerable animals at the same time, and right now, that help has never been needed more."
"We're super excited about this partnership," said Shawna Beaulieu, Executive Director of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre. "We're especially grateful for donations this summer. It's been a very busy season at the Animal Centre and Clinic. Because of the wildfires, we've seen an increase in emergency boarding, greater demand for our veterinary clinic, and more animals being transferred from surrounding communities."
Tickets for August's "Dog Days of Summer" Thunder Bay 50/50 draw go on sale Friday, July 31 at 11:30 a.m. at thunderbay5050.ca.
You don't have to buy a Thunder Bay 50/50 ticket to support animals in need. The Thunder Bay 50/50 team encourages supporters to make donations anytime via the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Northwest Animal Centre's website at https://ontariospca.ca/northwest.
The Dog Days of Summer Are BACK! Optional $2 Donation At Checkout!
** Tickets must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 29, 2024 to be eligible for the Grand Prize draw on Friday, August 30, at 11:00 a.m.
Questions about the draw can be sent to info@thunderbay5050.ca. Ticket purchasers must be present in Ontario to purchase and 18 years old or older. The Thunder Bay 50/50 continues each month with the Grand Prize drawn on the last Friday of the month. (2025-2026 Lottery Licence RAF1500864)