Adam Kolisnyk says his dad’s a great guy.
It’s hard to argue that after Ted Kolisnyk handed his son the keys to a brand new 2014 Acura ILX, the top prize in this year’s Save a Heart Car Raffle.
The elder Kolisnyk held the winning ticket, and said he didn’t think twice about giving it away.
“He’s in need of a car, I’m not really in need of a car, so it was a good thing to do,” Ted Kolisnyk said after being awarded his prize Balmoral Park Acura on Thursday.
He added it felt great to be the grand-prize winner.
“It’s a wonderful feeling, you can imagine,” he said.
A long-time supporter of the fourth-annual draw, which benefits cardiac care through the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Foundation, Ted Kolisnyk said he liked the cause.
“I support local draws only,” he said, “that support local charities and good events. That’s basically what I do. This one was special because it supports cardiac care and that’s meaningful to me.”
Adam Kolisnyk agreed wholeheartedly.
“I’m happy to be a part of something like the Save a Heart campaign to raise money and I’m very grateful to Balmoral Park Acura as well for allowing this all to be possible,” he said.
The Kolisnyk’s weren’t the only winners unveiled.
Linda Bell took home the second-place prize, a trip for two from Thunder Bay to anywhere Porter Airlines flies, while Ed Kauzlarich won a Samsung home entertainment system donated by the Power Centre.
Vince Mirabelli, director of the Health Sciences Foundation board, said improving cardiac care in Northwestern Ontario benefits everyone.
The draw, which raised $41,270 this year, has collected more than $167,000 over the past four years, money that will assure treatment is accessible close to home.
“We’re moving on to the next step of open-heart surgery, so funds raised here are going to help implement that program in a few years,” Mirabelli said.
“It’s important for the region and for Thunder Bay because a lot of people have to travel out of town and it’s important we keep everyone here close to home with their families. Not everyone can afford to stay in a hotel out of town. It’s good to be closer to home, especially with a procedure of that calibre.”
