What Would Your First Words Be If You Just Found Out You’d Won $250,000?

Would it be an unthinkable combination of NSFW words? Maybe it would just be unintelligible shrieks? Would it be “I quit!” while you dramatically stand up in the middle of your office, confusing everyone around you? Whatever your first words would be, winning $250,000 worth of prizes isn’t just a pipe dream — it could be a reality.

We’ve teamed up with the Play For Purpose charity raffle to let you know how you can be in with the chance to win a $250,000 prize pack of your very own. Major prizes in past raffles have included luxurious brand-new cars — and campervans! — mind-blowing shopping sprees, and even thousands, and thousands, worth of cashable gold. To be in the draw for your chance to win it, a $10 raffle ticket is all it takes, and better still, you get to choose one of over 500 amazing charities that half of your ticket purchase helps directly support. It’s literally that easy, and you’re helping a good cause of your choice.

For plenty of us, winning any sort of major prize like this one can feel like a fantasy too good to be true. Chances are you don’t know anyone who has bought a raffle ticket only to walk away with $250,000 worth of goods. But Play For Purpose produces real winners with every raffle, in fact since 2018, Play For Purpose has announced more than 50,000 lucky prize winners and that’s not even including the $7.8 million in funds raised for hundreds of Australian charities that are made possible by ticket purchases.

Here are just three of those lucky winners whose good deeds were rewarded with a major prize win, and the first words they uttered when they received that life-changing call, just in case you’re looking for some inspiration.

Ashlee: “Wow, Wow, Wow!”

Had it not been for a very happy accident, Victorian paediatric nurse Ashlee would not have walked away as a winner at all.

“It’s the first time I’d purchased Play for Purpose raffle tickets and I accidentally bought two separate lots,” Ashlee said, “So lucky I did, the second lot of tickets was the winning one!”

Ashlee’s happy accident saw her win an electric duo prize pack, with two electric cars including a BMW iX xDrive40 SUV valued at $155,495, a MINI Cooper SE Hatch valued at $62,242 and over $32,000 in cashable gold bullion.

Ashlee’s chosen charity to support with her Play For Purpose raffle tickets was the Good Friday Appeal, which raises funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

“I’ve been donating to the Good Friday Appeal for a couple of years. It’s a really important charity, and I always try to support them,” Ashlee said.

“They do amazing things for everybody, but in particular, my friend’s daughter who was diagnosed with Leukemia and has been going through chemo treatment through the Royal Children’s Hospital.

“My friend’s little girl had been in and out of Royal Children’s Hospital battling cancer. It’s been a long ride, but she’s on her way to recovery – she’s doing really well now.”

Ange: “Oh My God! Oh My God! Are You Serious?”

Ange, a mum from Forest Lake, Queensland, might’ve just thought she was donating to a charity that directly impacted her and her child.

“My daughter has a lot of health problems, and we are constantly in and out of the hospital and going to doctors’ appointments,” Ange explained.

“Having a sick child myself just makes me value the Children’s Hospital Foundation so much more. Whenever I purchase tickets for charity draws, I always support similar organisations.”

Ange’s ticket purchase, like anyone who enters into a Play For Purpose raffle, meant that organisations like Children’s Hospital Foundation can continue doing the literally lifesaving work they do. In fact, almost $800,000 has been raised for the Children’s Hospital Foundation just through Play For Purpose raffle tickets alone.

But, for Ange, her good karma came back around and changed her life for good.

She won a Land Rover Defender worth $118,374, $125,000 in cashable gold bullion and $6,626 in vouchers to spend across some of Australia’s leading retailers.

“(The week before the raffle) My partner was saying he wanted to buy me a Land Rover because I’d look so cool in it. And I agree! I will look so cool in it!”

Ronan and Maura: “Oh My Goodness, I’m So Glad I Answered!”

When we get a call from an unknown number, our instincts tell us to let it ring out or just hang up immediately. How many robo-scams or telemarketing calls can we endure in one day? It can be hard to blame Manly’s Ronan and Maura for thinking their Play For Purpose call letting them know their lives were about to change forever was just another one of those instances.

“When the number first came up, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness it’s another spam call.’ But I’m so glad I answered!” Ronan said.

The prize pack Ronan and Maura won included more than $100,000 in gold bullion and a brand-new Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan, which worked perfectly for the retirees.

“We have children spread out across Australia, but we haven’t seen much of Western Australia yet,” Ronan said.

“I actually tried to look for a campervan for our Western Australia trip! It turned out to be really expensive. It just was out of our price range. But now, we’ve got our very own!”

Ronan and Maura have been long-time supporters of the Play For Purpose charity raffle since 2020, proving that persistence pays off. Yet, for them, the tickets were all about giving back.

“I’ve supported National Seniors Australia for quite a while now. I’ve always thought, ‘Why not! It’s the right thing to do!’” Ronan said.

“I’ve been purchasing tickets for the raffle since 2020. We’re retired and in that age bracket and we wanted to give back.

“National Seniors does a fantastic job helping older Australians tackle age-related issues. We appreciate what they do for us.”

What Would Your First Words Be?

Joining the likes of Ange, Ashlee, Ronan and Maura doesn’t have to be a fantasy, but the only way to be in it for a chance to win it is to jump on and grab a $10 Play For Purpose raffle ticket. In fact, if you do it before Thursday 14 September, you’ll go into the draw for this colossal quarter of a million-dollar first prize pack, including an all-electric BMW iX3 M Sport, $100,000 in cashable gold and a $17,000 shopping spree.

Even if you don’t walk away with the biggest prize, there are 395 prizes to be won in each quarterly raffle, with huge rewards up for grabs. We’re talking a $15,000 Woolworths WISH gift voucher, a $7,500 JB-HiFi voucher, and more.

Remember that half of the proceeds of each ticket you buy goes directly to the charity of your choice supporting the cause dearest to your heart, whether that is helping homeless youth, through Orange Sky Australia, or helping to preserve and protect our beautiful country, like the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Play For Purpose is a not-for-profit that is truly making a difference.  From emergency services to local sports clubs, it’s entirely your choice where your contribution goes.

And, of course, every ticket directly helps a charity of your choice and gives you a chance to take home a huge prize. It’s the ultimate win-win.

Head over to Play For Purpose now to learn more about the charities you can support, and to buy that all-important raffle ticket. Practice your first words now and remember that, once entries close, it’s probably worth picking up the phone even if you don’t recognise the number. Life-changing news could be on the other end.

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Play For Purpose charity raffle tickets are just $10, so get behind the community cause closest to your heart for your chance to WIN a $250,000 first prize pack. For the latest raffle prizes, see playforpurpose.com.au.

If you’re an established ACNC registered charity looking to supercharge your fundraising, contact the Play For Purpose team to learn more about becoming a charity partner. Promoter is 50-50 Foundation Ltd. Entry open to Australian residents who are aged 18 years or older. See full T&C’s at playforpurpose.com.au.