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ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES SECOND SCRATCH-OFF LOTTERY
GAME TO BENEFIT VETERANS -- "Two for the Dough"
costs $2 and has a top prize of $20,000.
Story here...
http://www.illinois.gov/
PressReleases/ShowPressReleas
e.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=5824
Story below:
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Blagojevich Administration unveils new Veterans
Cash Lottery Ticket, Two for the Dough
Over $380,000 in Veterans Cash grants awarded
to help provide wide range of services for Illinois Veterans
CHICAGO –Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA)
L. Tammy Duckworth and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn joined the Illinois
Lottery today to unveil the new face of the Veterans Cash lottery
ticket, Two for the Dough. The first four Veterans Cash grant recipients
– Braveheart Therapeutic Riding Center, Catholic Charities’ St. Leo
Campus, the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans and the American
Legion- were also announced at the event. Combined, these four
organizations will be receiving over $380,000 to help provide a wide
range of services to Illinois veterans including health care,
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment, disability benefits, and
housing assistance.
“As this war continues, Illinois is going to see more and more of it’s
state’s military heroes returning home with an injury, with PTSD, or
with trouble transitioning back to civilian life. Our job as citizens is
to help our veterans in everyway possible. And buying this lottery
ticket does exactly that,” said IDVA Director L. Tammy Duckworth. “Last
year, this ticket raised $3.2 million dollars, and the best part about
it is that all of the money goes directly to veterans’ organizations and
services that deal with PTSD, homelessness, health insurance costs, or
disability benefits. I want to encourage all veterans’ organizations,
both large and small, to apply for a Veterans Cash grant so that we can
continue to better the services that are available to our veterans.”
Launched by Governor Blagojevich, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and Lottery in
February 2006, Veterans Cash is the Lottery’s first lottery ticket where
100 percent of proceeds go to support Illinois veterans. Proceeds from
the sale of this ticket are deposited into an interest bearing account
in the State Treasury called the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. The
Illinois General Assembly appropriates this money solely to IDVA who
will award the money in grants, fund additional services or conduct
research relating to veterans’ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
homelessness, health insurance costs, and disability benefits.
“All of us on the homefront have the duty to take care of our
veterans—our real heroes—who have bravely risked their lives in defense
of our democracy,” Lt. Governor Pat Quinn said. “Purchasing a Veterans
Cash lottery ticket to support the Illinois Veterans’ Health Initiative
is a voluntary way for the people of Illinois to help our veterans.”
IDVA has $2 million dollars in Veterans Cash grants to give out by June
of 2007. The first four Veterans Cash grant recipients announced today
at the James R. Thompson Center received grants ranging from $55,073 to
$125,000 for various services:
• American Legion – Illinois State Chapter will receive $100,000 to
support its Veteran Service Officers to enhance outreach.
• Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton will receive $125,000
to continue to expand its transitional living facility for homeless
veterans by providing the veterans with educational programs, job
counseling and PTSD treatment.
• Braveheart Therapeutic Riding Center in Pawnee will receive $100,000
to create a new program for veterans with spinal cord injuries and
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Catholic Charities’ St. Leo Campus for Veterans in Chicago will
receive $55,073 to purchase a new handicapped accessible van for its
campus which houses homeless veterans.
To date, Veterans Cash has raised more than $3.2 million for the
Illinois Veterans’ Assistance Trust Fund. The new ticket, Two for the
Dough, is expected to generate more than $3 million for Veteran services
throughout the state.
“We are humbled by the outpouring of support Veterans Cash received and
are hopeful that the new ticket Two for the Dough will receive the same
level of endorsement from Illinois residents and continue to drive
strong returns for our veterans,” said Illinois Lottery Director of
Marketing Sarah Cummins.
Two for the Dough is currently available at all Illinois Lottery retail
locations. Each ticket costs $2 and has a top prize of $20,000
For more information on Two for the Dough please visit the Illinois
Lottery website at
www.illinoislottery.com or for more information on Illinois
veteran programs and initiatives or to apply for a Veterans Cash grant,
visit the IDVA website at
www.state.il.us/agency/dva . For more information on ways to help
our veterans and troops, please visit
www.OperationHomefront.org
.
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Larry Scott --
