7/10/2026

WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield Fireworks Committee says that more than 8,000 Wakefield 50/50 tickets were inadvertently not included in last weekend’s 50/50 drawing.  The committee says following the drawing last Saturday, the winning ticket was selected and announced publicly, then the next day the Committee discovered that, due to an oversight during the ticket loading process, one box containing approximately 8,220 raffle tickets was inadvertently not emptied into the ticket shuffler prior to the drawing.  Upon discovering the oversight, the Committee says they immediately secured the omitted tickets, self-reported the matter to the Charitable Gaming Division of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, and requested guidance on the appropriate course of action.  The decision is the winning ticket will stand, the holders of the approximately 8,220 tickets that were not included in the drawing are entitled to a refund equal to the purchase price paid for those affected tickets.  The Committee will publish the list of the affected ticket numbers in the coming days. Beginning Friday, July 17, 2026, a committee member will be available at the Wakefield Municipal Building each Friday to process refunds. To receive a refund, individuals must present the original raffle ticket. The refund period will remain open through Tuesday, September 15, 2026, after which no further refund requests will be honored.  The Committee says they are implementing additional safeguards and verification procedures to ensure this type of error cannot occur again.