NEWS RELEASE
DRAYTON ENTERTAINMENT
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It may only be November, but it feels like Christmas for Paul Campolongo from Guelph! He was working from home on Monday when he got a surprising lunchtime phone call informing him that he was the lucky winner of Drayton Entertainment’s October Ultimate 50/50 Draw. Paul took home a final jackpot of $64,215 with the winning ticket number #99446520003.
“Artistic Director Alex Mustakas made my Monday a much nicer day! I’ve been playing the Drayton Entertainment 50/50 draw since the very first online raffle back in March, but never thought I would actually win it!” says Campolongo.
As a recreational musician, Campolongo knows firsthand just how hard the pandemic has hit artists; he thought participating in the monthly draws would be a fun way to support the arts and entertainment industry. Campolongo first started performing in front of a live audience when he was 17, and he’s been playing in bands ever since. His current group “Innuendo” has not rehearsed or played any gigs for almost two years, but he is hopeful that as restrictions ease, they’ll be able to go back to playing music together.
Campolongo has attended many Drayton Entertainment performances in the past at the Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge and the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend, and he can’t wait to be back in a theatre again.
“For me, as a musician, I just love the musicals with the live bands at Drayton. There’s nothing like live music!” he said.
While Campolongo doesn’t have immediate plans on how he will spend his windfall, it will provide some flexibility and security as he winds down his career in accounting with the hope of retiring next spring.
“It’s been a really exciting month for us,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment. “We’ve just announced that we’re finally putting holiday shows on stage in St. Jacobs and Cambridge in December. But even though audiences will start to return to the theatres in person, our 50/50 draw is going to remain online for the time being. Keeping it online allows us to eliminate a touchpoint at the theatre with no physical 50/50 tickets, and it also allows more people to play the popular raffle even if they are not visiting one of our venues during the holiday season. The draw continues to be a lifeline for us raising important dollars to assist with our ongoing reopening plans. Last month’s weekly Early Bird draw was extremely popular, so that will continue in November with a $500 winner every week on Fridays leading up to the draw for the Grand Prize jackpot.”
First November Early Bird Draw is on Friday this week!
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