MILWAUKEE — At least 81 times a year, fans flock to American Family Field to watch the Brewers play.
But the athletes aren't the only attraction fans come to see. While these people might not get all the glory, they are almost as popular. They are the 50/50 raffle ticket sellers.
For many, the 50/50 raffle has become just as much a part of the game day experience as watching the Brewers play.
"I like to do the 50/50 raffle just because it goes to a good cause and it;s a chance to win money," Brewers fan Corey Huber said.
"Chance to maybe win big money," another Brewers fan, Dan Zuleger, said about the 50/50 raffle.
There are about 20 to 25 raffle sellers on a game day. One ticket seller, Julie Anthony, said she really doesn't have to sell people on the idea. Fans are eager to buy tickets.
“I love it when I walk up to a group, and I see the reach. They’re reaching for the wallet. I don’t even have to do my sales pitch," Anthony said.
Anthony has been doing this for two seasons. I met her when the Cubs came to town.
“I mostly love it when the Brewer fans win all the Cubbie money.”
See what it's like to be a 50/50 seller by watching the video below...
The 50/50 raffle is kind of like a lottery. Fans can buy a ticket for $2. The winning ticket is announced during the middle of the 6th inning. The jackpot, which can be thousands of dollars, is split between the winner and the Brewers Community Foundation - the charitable arm of the Brewers.
“We provide grants to support youth baseball or fields or pantries, domestic violence shelters, arts and culture programs. Just a variety of really meaningful, impactful programs," Cecelia Gore, the Executive Director of the Brewers Community Foundation, said.
The main goal of the foundation is to support underprivileged youth and their families in the areas of health, education, recreation, and basic needs.
In the 15 years the organization has done the 50/50 raffle, the foundation has raised about $25 million with the raffle. That means about $12 million has gone to fans and roughly another $12 million has supported local non-profits. The biggest ever single-game jackpot was about $80,000.
All the money the foundation receives goes back into the community. The ticket sellers are paid by the Brewers, not the foundation.
"Everybody is a winner. We live in his community. We want a high quality of life, so when you spend $2 you have that chance to win. But you also have an opportunity to support some really important work," Gore said.
Sure, sometimes the money that fans win is a nice jolt of extra cash. But sometimes, it makes a real difference in someone's life. Gore remembers one of the very first-ever winners was someone who recently lost their job and the money would help him pay his bills that month.
That ability to help the community inspires a lot of the raffle ticket sellers, like Julie Anthony.
“I love the Brewers. The mission is amazing, and so it allows me to combine my love of philanthropy and my love of sports," she said.
She said that in her first season, one of the winning tickets she sold went to a man who was going to use his winnings to pay for his cancer treatments.
Overall, the Brewers Community Foundation has raised about $55 million since 2010. The majority of that comes from the raffle. Funds also come from donations, partnerships, scoreboard messages that fans make, and Brewers players themselves.
"(I) sit with every single player and ask for a financial contribution. We've consistently had 100 percent giving from our players," Gore said.
So the next time you are at a game and see the 50/50 ticket sellers, don't think of the raffle as a gamble. It's more like a donation.
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