A Chance to Win Big While Helping Students in Need in Our OCSB Community.
Since 1999, the Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa (CEFO) has supported OCSB students and their families during times of personal tragedy and financial hardship. By addressing the effects of poverty, CEFO works to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically and personally.
Once again, OCSB has partnered with BUMP to host the CEFO 50/50 raffle. Every ticket you purchase will help support a child in need in our schools.
What is CEFO?
The Catholic Education Foundation of Ottawa (CEFO) is a registered charity dedicated to supporting students within the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) who face financial challenges. Childcare costs, job losses, family separation, and disability increase the risk of poverty among families. By addressing the effects of poverty, CEFO ensures that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically and personally.
How Does CEFO Help Students?
The majority of CEFO’s funding is dedicated to the CEFO Emergency Response Fund, which provides critical short-term support to children and families facing financial crisis. When a school Principal identifies a child in need, they contact CEFO, and within 24 hours, funds are provided to address essential needs such as food, clothing, and transportation. In addition, each year CEFO helps send children to summer camp, giving them opportunities for fun, relaxation, and positive experiences they might not otherwise have.
In 2024-25, the CEFO granted 856 requests for Emergency support, totalling $255,625. It also sent 233 children to camp, at a cost of $92,658.
Among those helped were…
… a new Canadian family with two school-aged children and a newborn. There is limited food, and the parents are struggling. The children are coming to school in the same clothes daily.
… a family whose father was hospitalized for a stroke and a deep brain bleed. The mother is self-employed and has not been working while the father was in acute care. They asked for assistance with groceries.
… a single mother who works overnight and has just lost access to her overnight childcare. Her funds are low because she has not been able to work her overnight shift, and she needs help with groceries.
… a family with two high-needs students whose home was damaged by fire and water. They have bounced from hotel to hotel and have not yet been given access to their home to salvage any remaining items.
… a student from a refugee family with four children who suddenly lost their mother.
... a mother of a student with special needs whose husband was just put in a mental health facility. She is not working, has a baby and a toddler at home, and has lost access to a vehicle and his salary.
How Does the Raffle Work?
You can purchase 50/50 tickets online at the CEFO 50/50 raffle website. Ticket Sales close at noon on Friday, February 27, 2026. The winner will receive 50% of the total money raised through ticket sales, with the other 50% going to CEFO. The winning 50/50 number will be drawn at 3:00 pm on February 27, 2026, and announced on the raffle website.
Have questions? Visit the CEFO 50/50 FAQ for more information.
How is the Raffle Administered?
OCSB has partnered with BUMP to support the raffle’s administration in accordance with a license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). BUMP is North America’s leading digital raffle partner and has worked with CHEO on their Dream of a Lifetime Lottery and with Hockey Canada on the 50/50 draw at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
View the CEFO 50/50 Raffle Rules of Play.
