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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The generous donation of a $15,000 diamond helped the Yellowknife Seniors Society raise an unprecedented amount of money during its annual raffle.

Arnold Krause, centre, accepts his $15,000 diamond from Yellowknife Seniors Society board president Sandra Taylor Tuesday at the Baker Community Centre as Ed Jeske, retired teacher from Sir John's High School, looks on. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

Grosseing a record $39,250, the fundraiser beat its previous high of $32,000

Arnold Krause, 49, a Yellowknife resident and teacher at Sir John Franklin High School, was the lucky winner of the 1.09 carrot diamond donated by Diavik Diamond Mines and square-cut free of charge by Crossworks Manufacturing.

Krause said he felt almost guilty for winning the gem when he accepted it this past Tuesday. The draw was held on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the Baker Community Centre.

“For years, you buy these kinds of tickets because you believe in (the cause they support),” he said, adding he had bought a number of tickets to give away at Christmas time, and it just so happened that one of the few he put his own name on came up the winner.

Krause said he was unsure about what he was going to do with his new diamond, but joked he would likely put it in a safe deposit box until his wife decided what they should do with it.

The diamond served as the first of 11 prizes given out during the raffle. Krause said he bought his raffle tickets at the Yellowknife Shoppers Drug Mart and downtown Extra Foods.

Lynda Balsillie, member of the Yellowknife Seniors Centre board of directors, said the large number of tickets sold is an indication of just how generous Northerners can be.

“We would really like to thank everyone who bought a ticket,” said Balsillie. “We would also really like to thank all of our sponsors, because we couldn’t have done it without our sponsors.”

The 11 prizes donated for the raffle had a net worth of $22,188. Other than the diamond, top prizes included round trip airfare to Edmonton courtesy of First Air, $1,000 from Eggenberger Group and $1,000 of home heating fuel provided by Matonabee Petroleum.

Rose Lamouelle, from Behchoko, was the only non-Yellowknifer out of the 11 winners in the draw and was also the only winner besides Krause to accept her prize in person at the Baker Community Centre this past Tuesday.

Several winners have yet to come forward to claim their prizes, Balsillie said. The senior’s society will publish a list of winners at a later date to ensure everyone will receive their reward. Lamouelle won the seventh prize of $500 donated by Home Life Real Estate.

The Yellowknife Seniors Society’s is a non-profit organization that provides activities for Yellowknifers over the age of 50 and maintains the Baker Community Centre on Franklin Avenue.

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