50-50 draw at Eskimos game worth over $300,000

Calgary Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (19)looks for a receiver as Edmonton Eskimos Cameron Sheffield (94) rushes during first half action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday July 24, 2014. (Jason Franson/CP)

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Eskimos say a 20-year-old man has won the largest 50-50 draw in the football club’s history.

The CFL team says Connor Croken of Edmonton presented the winning ticket worth $348,534 when the Eskimos office opened this morning.

Tickets were sold during a game Thursday night against the Calgary Stampeders, which the Eskimos lost 26-22.

The game drew more than 40,000 people, many of whom stood in line for much of the first half to buy tickets.

The draw had grown dramatically when a $71,000 prize from July 11 home game went unclaimed and was carried over.

Croken won’t have the money for this weekend — the club says it will present him with a cheque on Tuesday.

The draw is usually made during the game, but because ticket sales were so heavy on Thursday, the team released the winning numbers on its website overnight.

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