Lottery Ticket To Benefit HIV/AIDS Prevention On Sale Now
100% of profits from Red Ribbon Cash go toward an Illinois free of HIV/AIDS
CHICAGO – The Illinois Lottery has launched its annual Red Ribbon Cash instant ticket, which has raised more than $8 million for HIV/AIDS prevention education in Illinois since 2008.
The Red Ribbon Cash ticket costs $3, and players can win up to $50,000. The ticket is on sale now at more than 7,200 Illinois Lottery retailers across Illinois, and 100% of profits from ticket sales go toward an Illinois free of HIV/AIDS.
“Everyone who plays has a chance to win, but more importantly, it also guarantees that they are contributing to the good of the cause,” Illinois Lottery Acting Director Harold Mays said. “We want our players to realize they are part of something bigger, and by playing Red Ribbon Cash, they can make a difference in combatting HIV/AIDS in Illinois.”
Funds raised by the Red Ribbon Cash instant ticket are distributed by the Illinois Department of Public Health to Illinois organizations that work on HIV/AIDS prevention, education and treatment.
Illinois ranks in the top 10 nationwide for states with the highest rate of HIV/AIDS. In 2017, an estimated 39,842 people were living with HIV in Illinois. There were 1,375 new HIV diagnoses in Illinois in 2017, an almost 35% decrease from 2006 to 2017, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The Illinois Lottery’s collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health helps support Getting to Zero Illinois, a statewide initiative to end HIV in Illinois by 2030.
“Continuing to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS research and services is critical to our newly launched Getting to Zero Illinois Plan,” Illinois Department of Public Health Acting Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “Through this partnership with the Illinois Lottery and the awareness the Red Ribbon Cash lottery ticket brings to HIV, we will get closer to ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030, the goal of Getting to Zero Illinois. Serving the needs of our diverse communities is a priority when it comes to reducing the risks of HIV/AIDS transmission and we want to thank the Illinois Lottery for its commitment to making Illinois a healthier state.”
The Red Ribbon Cash ticket is one of six in the Illinois Lottery’s portfolio of instant tickets that support special causes. Since 2006, more than $50 million has been raised for special causes in Illinois through the Illinois Lottery.
For more information about the ticket, please visit https://www.illinoislottery.com/giving-back/specialty-tickets.
Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $20 billion (since 1985) to the state’s Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund and to special causes like Illinois Veterans services, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, Special Olympics and assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to playing in-store, the Illinois Lottery offers online and mobile play for all draw-based Illinois Lottery games at illinoislottery.com. Players must be at least 18 years old.