Kincardine Legion Corner

Win Big. Give Back Bigger! That is the tagline for the new Kin Cares 50/50 Draw, with partners the Kincardine Legion and the Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation. The draw is all set for ticket sales to start April 1! The ticket price tiers are as follows: five tickets for $10, 20 tickets for $20, and 100 tickets for $40. There will be three Early Bird Draws in April, and the April winning number will be drawn on May 1. The Early Bird prize date and prizes are: $500 draw Friday, April 10, another $500 draw Friday, April 17, and then a draw for a barbecue from Canadian Tire Friday, April 24. You will be able to purchase tickets on-line and also using some handheld units at the Legion Bar and at the Kincardine Hospital.
If you have a look at the website: kincares5050.ca, you will see that the site is near ready, just not quite live to purchase tickets yet, and you will see it says ‘Test’ at the top. Once we get to April 1, the BUY buttons will work and we will see the jackpot total start to climb. Don’t forget you will be able to set a recurring payment to automatically purchase your tickets, at your selected tier, on the first day of each month, so that you will never miss an Early Bird draw.
Next time you are in the Legion Clubroom, you will notice we have a new TV over by the front windows. This TV will show information about the Kin Cares 50/50 Draw. We have some introductory slides on there now, and it also will show the Kin Cares 50/50 website in the cycle, so that everyone can check out what the draw total is at, and how many days left until the draw. So check it out, it’s pretty cool!
This new charitable lottery aims to strengthen local health care through collective effort. The Legion is committed to supporting veterans and their families, ensuring they have access to the care and services they need throughout their lives. The foundation’s efforts are focused on the Kincardine Hospital, currently in the midst of an ambitious $18-million campaign to fund the community’s share of a transformative expansion. Our partnership goes beyond fund-raising — it brings hope, better health, and concrete support to veterans and their families. A modernized hospital isn’t just an achievement; it’s a lifeline, providing advanced, timely care close to home for our community. We are really looking forward to the launch!

At the Saturday Meat Draw, Tom Harris was the double-dipper, and also three different members of the Allen family won a prize: Shannon, Hailey and Scott. Bruce Hedley took home $158 in the 50/50 draw; congratulations, Bruce! Remember that HWY 19 will be playing live at the next Mega Meat Draw, which will be May 9.

Last week, we did a post with some “Things to Know” about Branch 183, and since not everyone is on Facebook, I thought I would recap some here. Legion membership is FREE for new members in 2026. We are really encouraging everyone to take advantage of this and come join the other 170 members that have joined Branch 183 so far this year! We like to remind people that you don’t need to be a member to just drop in for a snack or a drink, or to come to Legion events, such as meat draws, Bingos, dances, trivia, family dinners, etc. But again, we would love to have you as a member, and what a better time to try out being a member than while it’s free! We heard that, nationally, the average age of Legion members is now 42, down from 60 in past years. It's wonderful to hear that younger people are joining and helping to continue the Legion’s mission to remember and support our veterans.

Branch Elections are almost upon us! They will be held at the General Membership Meeting, Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. Your membership must be paid up and current to be able to vote. You can see the names of members who have put themselves forward for a position on the Branch 183 Executive on the board in the front hall of the Legion. If you wish to run for a position on the executive, just add your name to the board.

The Kincardine Legion recently made some community donations. We gave $1,000 to the KDSS girls hockey team, and $1,000 to the KDSS boys hockey team, to support their trips to compete at the OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) level. As well, we gave $300 to support the Bluewater Regional Science and Technology Fair, providing a quality event for students in Bruce and Grey counties.



Kincardine Legion president Teri Leslie (second from left) presents a donation of $1,000 to the KDSS girls hockey team; with her, are Dan Ogilvie (left), teacher/coach, and players Gracey McIntosh, Sadie White, Callie Paul and Emily Ricica



Kincardine Legion president Teri Leslie (second from left) presents a donation of $1,000 to members of the KDSS boys hockey team
 

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Vimy Ridge Day is coming soon, Thursday, April 9. Our Legion Colour Guard will be part of a service at the Kincardine Cemetery. We will have more details forthcoming, but it will likely be in the morning.

Be sure to pick up your tickets for The Mudmen at the Legion, Saturday, April 25. Tickets are just $35 each, and are on sale at the Legion Bar. As with most events, ticket sales really increase the closer we get to the event, so make sure you don’t miss out.

We are preparing our April events calendar, and on it, you will be able to check out what food will be offered at Thursday Bingo Night, but just as a head’s up, next week, April 2, it will be beef stew. Speaking of Thursday Bingo Nights, we are looking for some more volunteers. If you are interested in getting in some steps, then helping as a runner on the floor might be just up your alley. Runners are needed to move around the hall, collecting cards and cups, etc. High school students are eligible to help at Bingo as well, and can get their volunteer hours signed off. If you are interested, reach out to us and we can put you in touch with Marty, our Bingo chairman. If Bingo is not for you but you still want to volunteer, just reach out. We have lots of ways you can help at our busy branch.

Coming Events:
 

• Friday, March 27 - Trivia Night at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 18 - Kincardine Refugee Sponsorship Committee Spring Fling Adult Dance Party - 7-11 p.m. - Cash bar, light snacks. See the committee's Facebook page for ticket details.