Kinky Boots fan Colin cruises to a winning Drayton Entertainment 50/50 ticket
June 21, 2023
June’s Ultimate 50-50 winner Colin Gruchy is looking forward to finally seeing Kinky Boots on stage after its pandemic hiatus
Drayton Entertainment’s Executive Director Steven Karcher presented Toronto’s Colin Gruchy with his 50/50 prize at Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge.
The caffeine hadn’t quite kicked in when Colin Gruchy received a phone call from Drayton Entertainment’s Artistic Director Alex Mustakas, who had called to tell him that he’d won the June 2023 Ultimate 50/50 Grand Prize Jackpot.
“I was sitting on the couch having my morning coffee. I still wasn’t awake, so I guess it was sort of disbelief,” recalls Gruchy, who supports several non-profits and arts organizations by entering their lotteries. “I’d completely forgotten about it, so it was a bit of a shock.”
Toronto resident Gruchy visited Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge to collect his winnings from Drayton Entertainment’s Executive Director Steven Karcher on Wednesday, June 21.
The winning ticket number #99000845040 netted Gruchy $6,950. He’s been entering Drayton Entertainment’s monthly 50/50 ever since the first contest back in March 2021.
Lockdowns during the past few years resulted in darkened theatres, so Drayton Entertainment sought ways to keep some funds coming in while also enabling their supporters to remain engaged.
“If we could do it in a way that perhaps gave them some fun and a chance to win along the way, then that is all the better,” Karcher explains. “So, thank you for your support.”
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Company in Kinky Boots, Drayton Entertainment, 2020 Season. Director & Choreographer David Connolly, Music Director Konrad Pluta, Set Designer Brian Dudkiewicz, Costume Designer Ivan Brozic, Lighting Designer Kaileigh Krysztofiak. Photographer: Hilary Gauld.
Gruchy says that he had tickets to see Kinky Boots at Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge in 2020, but the pandemic resulted in the production closing down after just one day. He’s been a fan of the show since seeing it on Broadway, and he’s looking forward to being in the audience when it finally has its Cambridge run this summer.
A lifelong lover of musical theatre, Gruchy says he once considered treading the boards himself, but life took a different turn. “I went to work for a bank, which was supposed to be for six months, auditioning while I was working part time. 27 years later, I retired.”
The winning number came at just the right time, as Gruchy recently booked a 25-night cruise in the Mediterranean with his partner.
“I thought, ‘Gee, how am I going to pay my half of this,’ which happens to be $6,400,” he says. He plans on using the rest of his winnings for an excursion. “I don’t have to use my line of credit now,” he joked.
Tickets for the next draw are already on sale. The July raffle will run through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30 with a Grand Prize draw at noon on Saturday, July 1. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://drayton5050.com, with three tickets for $10, 40 tickets for $20, or 100 tickets for $40.
The jackpot is updated online in real-time and grows as more people participate – the published amount is the winner’s take-home prize.
Tickets may be purchased by individuals 18 years or older and located in the Province of Ontario at the time of purchase. All ticket sales are final and ticket buyers will receive a receipt via email after purchasing that will list all numbers associated with the purchased tickets.
Tickets are sold using an electronic raffle system approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and supplied by Bump Worldwide Inc. Raffle License AGCO #RAF1232607. Please play responsibly. Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline 1-888-230-3505 or visit www.connexontario.ca. For complete details, including rules of participation and frequently asked questions, please visit: https://drayton5050.com.
About Drayton Entertainment
Drayton Entertainment is an award-winning, not-for-profit charitable arts organization (12591 1313 RR0001) operating six professional live theatre venues in five Ontario communities – the original Drayton Festival Theatre in Drayton, Huron Country Playhouse (Mainstage and South Huron Stage) in Grand Bend, King’s Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene, St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and Schoolhouse Theatre in St. Jacobs, and the Hamilton Family Theatre in Cambridge.
Drayton Entertainment is one of the largest employers of professional artists in the country across all artistic disciplines with over 400 artist contracts issued annually. The organization’s sustainable theatre model has emerged as a powerful force for culture and tourism in the province and has been recognized by the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario as well as the Ontario Innovation Excellence Awards.
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