During the early stages of the Buffalo Sabres’ matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 6, Tiffany Seger went online to purchase Buffalo Sabres Foundation 50/50 Raffle tickets.
The Amherst native was watching the game from home and often purchases 50/50 tickets. She watched the jackpot climb past $100,000 and $200,000 until it settled at $318,534 – which not only set a Sabres record but became the largest single-game jackpot for a U.S. NHL team in history.
Seger increased her normal purchase to 200 tickets – a $40 cost – and won the largest prize in Sabres Foundation 50/50 history at $159,267.
“My fiancé and I both buy those tickets, so we'll try every now and then. This time after the game, I checked my ticket and it said I won,” Seger said. “I looked over and said, ‘I literally just won this 50/50.’ He was like, ‘You're kidding?’
“I'm like, ‘No, this is real!’ My jaw dropped, because you don't ever expect to actually win.”
The Sabres Foundation 50/50 Raffle is presented by Northtown Automotive. Half the funds support the Foundation’s mission to support Western New York; the other half provides life-changing prizes to lucky winners like Seger.
“We’re honored to partner with the Buffalo Sabres Foundation to help turn fan excitement into real support for local organizations,” said Danielle Schreiber-Ellis, marketing manager for Northtown Automotive.” The 50/50 raffle is a powerful example of fans coming together to support their community, while making a lasting impact on someone’s life.”
After celebrating with her fiancé, Seger’s first calls were to her mother and her sister and they bonded over the life-altering news.
Seger’s family was equally shocked to learn of her prize. She brought her mom to KeyBank Center, where she met Buffalo Sabres Foundation president Rich Jureller for a check presentation.
“It's still been unreal,” Seger said. “It was really nice when we went to go pick up the check as well. Rich was able to show us the locker room and everything like that. And I was with my mom and dad and she's a huge fan. It was definitely life changing. I wouldn't think I'd be back there holding giant check with all that money.”
The 50/50 raffle once started as a way to help fund operations for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. It has since blossomed into an invaluable tool for the Sabres Foundation to help charitable groups and organizations in Western New York.
Sabres Hall of Famer Larry Playfair helps organize the 50/50 with his wife, Jayne, and said the jackpot prize over the last half decade averaged $30,000 to $32,000 per game. That figure has jumped with the prize pot at approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per game this season.
“[Rich] is inundated with requests to do different things for different groups in Western New York and he does that through the Sabres Foundation grant money,” Playfair said. “The only thing that's happened with the pots getting bigger is the Sabres Foundation has more money to spread around the community and it's amazing, the groups that will be impacted by it.”
Playfair said the Sabres’ play on the ice this season has translated into increased sales both at KeyBank Center – that’s played host to 17 consecutive sellouts – and online, where people like Seger have participated.
Over 77 percent of 50/50 ticket sales on April 6 were made online, through promotion on the team’s digital channels and MSG broadcasts.
“It’s been huge for us,” Playfair said. “What it allows is for folks that are anywhere in New York State – if they're in Syracuse and they’re a Sabres fan or in Rochester and they're a Sabres fan watching the game on TV – they can participate as well. They might be at home watching it on TV, they might be in a restaurant or in a bar, and they can all jump on board as well. That's been hugely important for the jackpots to go as high as they've gone.”
Seger said she’ll be putting much of her winnings into a savings and into a vacation fund, where she hopes to treat her family. She’ll also be looking into Sabres tickets for upcoming playoff games and for another special occasion
“I've been engaged for a couple years, so I definitely could think about planning an actual wedding now,” she said.
