OTTAWA, ON, March 10, 2022 — The Paralympic Foundation of Canada is excited to announce that the Para 50/50 presented by Canadian Tire is back for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Residents in Ontario and Alberta aged 18+ can purchase tickets until the Jackpot Draw on Sunday, March 13 at para5050.ca.
By purchasing tickets for the Para 50/50, individuals will be supporting opportunities for Canadians living with disabilities to participate in sport, and for some, perhaps one day even reach a Paralympic podium.
Proceeds from the Para 50/50 will support programming and grants for athletes at all levels – from the community, all the way to the Paralympic Games – through the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, Canadian Sport Institute Calgary, and the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities’ Community Development Grants.
You could win BIG just like our Team Canada athletes
Participating in Para sport can be an expensive endeavour and the mission of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada is to remove these barriers to participation in sport. They work to ensure that the people, programs, and equipment are in place so that Canadians with a disability can be active in sport, in their community and all the way to the Paralympic podium.
Your support of the Para 50/50 will support Canadians in experiencing the power of sport and help make dreams come true just like these Paralympians.
Alana Ramsay – Para Alpine
Alana Ramsay has cerebral palsy which affects the right side of her body. She has been skiing for more than a decade and surged to international success in Para alpine skiing at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. She won two bronze medals at those Games in the Super G and super combined events.
She recently became Canada’s first multi-medallist of the Beijing 2022 Games, claiming her second bronze medal on Sunday. The women’s standing skier took home third place in the super combined event, adding to her Super-G podium from Saturday.
“When I came across the finish line [in the Super-G] and I saw the minus sign in front and the No. 1 position, I was in absolute disbelief,” said Ramsay, who has been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder since a massive crash on the hill a few years ago. “I couldn’t believe it and I still can’t believe it. It’s still sinking in a little bit that I actually got on the podium again. I didn’t think this was going to be possible. I was aiming for it, but in the back of my mind I knew it might not be in the speed [events].”
Mark Ideson – Wheelchair Curling
Mark Ideson made his debut as skip of the Wheelchair Curling team in 2018, leading Canada to a bronze medal in wheelchair curling at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.
Ideson’s journey into wheelchair sports began in 2007 when a helicopter he was piloting crashed in a field near Cambridge, Ont., leaving him with multiple fractures in his legs, pelvis, sternum, ribs, nose and neck, resulting in a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.
As an able-bodied athlete, Ideson was involved with a variety of sports, but in his new life he began to miss the sense of community and belonging. He says he was inspired watching an interview with charismatic Olympic skeleton champion Jon Montgomery during the 2010 Olympic Games. When Montgomery spoke of taking up a sport that he could excel at and represent Canada on the world stage, Ideson knew that he too needed to find his sport.
A friend had been asking him to try wheelchair curling, and at first, he said no because he originally didn’t want to try any sport he had played prior to his injury, where he could compare his abilities. Luckily, he decided to give it a try. He remembers being concerned he would not have enough strength to propel the curling rock down the ice. Not only did he have enough strength, but he has been hooked ever since and is now one of the world’s best athletes in the sport.
Team Canada’s Wheelchair Curling team is currently tied for third place in round robin play at the Beijing 2022 Games.
Purchase your tickets for the Para 50/50 TODAY!
- Early Bird Draw #2: Thursday, March 10, 10:30 p.m. ET
- $1,000 Canadian Tire Gift Card
- Jackpot Draw: Sunday, March 13 10:30 p.m. ET
About the Paralympic Foundation of Canada
The Paralympic Foundation of Canada is a registered charitable foundation and the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Founded in 2015, the Foundation believes that every single Canadian should be able to imagine themselves at the start line, regardless of ability. For more information please visit: ParalympicFoundation.ca.
AGCO license # 1232314. License held by Paralympic Foundation of Canada
Draw Date: March 13, 2022. Tickets may only be purchased or sold within Ontario to individuals aged 18+.
