The expectations are high ahead of the 35th annual Brentwood Dream Hope Lottery. Organizers at the recovery centre held a pep rally on Wednesday night before the new lottery launches on Oct. 1. This year, the lottery features $500,000 in prizes, including cars, cash prizes and a Dream Toy Package. After receiving feedback from the public, the lottery has pushed back it’s first early bird draw to Nov. 25, which will see the gifting of a 2027 Dodge Charger. This marks the second year since the lottery transitioned away from including a home as one of the top prizes. Glen Malott, the co-chairman of the lottery, said they’re hoping to build on some of the lessons learned from last year. “Last year we were successful. We raised over $330,000 last year from the lottery. And our hope this year is that we add at least another 100 or more to that,” he said. Over the coming months, the lottery is planning a greater social media presence and will host efforts at the Devonshire Mall to increase participation. Malott said Brentwood continues to see a significant number of people in need of help. “The need is still there. It hasn’t changed one bit; it’s only increased if anything, and we know that Windsor and Windsor-Essex is an area that has always been supportive to the lottery and we’re very grateful of that,” Malott said. The recovery home has repeatedly said it does not receive enough government funding to meet the needs of those who end up at their door. Each year, funds received from the lottery are used to address the funding shortfall and ensure they can treat as many people as financially possible. “We can’t run in a deficit. We need to be financially responsible, and a part of that is to say no to those if we don’t have the money. We don’t want to do that,” he added. The grand prize draw will be held on Jan. 16, 2027.
