'I was shaking': Nova Scotians hoping to cash in on popular 50/50 draw

It was a phone call Kayla Eldridge won't soon forget.

“I was at work and I got a phone call from Amherst and I was like, ‘I don't know anyone from Amherst.’ I wasn't sure if I was even going to answer,” she said.

Eldridge cashed in on the largest jackpot ever in the history of the Nova Scotia Firefighters 50/50. A little more than $1.4 million is now in Eldridge's bank account.

“My whole family had to shut our phones off, so we could go to bed that night because they were going off constantly,” said Eldridge.

The licensed practical nurse from Falmouth, N.S., is currently studying to be a registered nurse and plans to purchase a new home with her winnings.

She says she bought $10 worth of tickets in the Christmas draw.

“I was shaking; my co-worker actually thought something bad happened. She thought my house was on fire because I had to verify my address and all my other contact information,” said Eldridge.

The other half of ticket sales will also stay in Nova Scotia.

“It helps different fire departments in different ways. For some of the smaller departments it pays their utilities and oil bill, for the larger departments they're able to purchase drones, or boats, or ice suits that would take years and years to fundraise,” said Andrew Wallis, the administrator of the draw, on behalf of the Amherst Firefighters Association.

There are 262 fire departments and agencies participating, with every department benefiting based on a percentage of how many tickets they sell.

And there's another big draw expected Thursday night.

“We're fairly confident the jackpot itself will break the $1 million-mark,” said Wallis.