Governor Culver Announces Yearly Total To Iowa Veterans Trust Fund From Lottery Totals Nearly $2.8 Million
Press Release
Governor Culver Announces Yearly Total To Iowa Veterans Trust Fund From Lottery Totals Nearly $2.8 Million
Total proceeds from lottery tickets reaches upper range of estimates for fund to help Iowa's veterans and their families
Continuing Iowa's support of our service veterans, Governor Chet Culver announced that the first year's transfers to the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund from the Iowa Lottery will total nearly $2.8 million. The lottery's final transfer to the fund for fiscal year 2009 will be made this week, providing proceeds to help Iowa veterans and their families.
"All veterans have the gratitude of every citizen. They have served with distinction and with pride," Governor Culver said. "I was honored to sign legislation authorizing lottery games to help support the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. And now, this money will play a vital role in helping veterans and their loved ones around the state."
Legislation dedicating some lottery revenues to veterans' causes was signed into law by Governor Culver in March 2008. The Lottery creates two new instant-scratch and two additional pull-tab games each year, with profits from those games dedicated to the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. The Lottery's final transfer to the fund for FY 2009 will bring the proceeds total for the program's first year to $2,783,377.
The Iowa Veterans Trust Fund provides assistance to qualified veterans for expenses such as:
* Travel expenses for wounded veterans directly related to follow-up medical care;
* Job training or college tuition assistance;
* Unemployment assistance during a period of unemployment due to prolonged physical or mental illness or disability resulting from military service;
* Dental, vision and hearing assistance for veterans living in a long-term care facility or under a home healthcare contract;
* Benefits for a child or children or disabled or deceased veterans following Sept. 11, 2001;
* And individual or family counseling programs.
"Together, we will continue to show gratitude to these Iowa heroes for their service to our state and our nation," Governor Culver said.
The lottery's latest round of games to benefit the Veterans Trust Fund began sales this month. "The Freedom Rock," a $2 scratch game, features an image on its tickets of the giant boulder in Adair County by the same name that is painted each year by a Greenfield artist as a tribute to our nation's veterans. "Red White & Blue," a $1 pull-tab game, features artwork on its tickets of several patriotic symbols including the bald eagle and Liberty Bell.
Lottery CEO Terry Rich said that when the idea of games dedicated to veterans was initially discussed, the lottery had estimated it could raise $2 million to $3 million annually for the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. The total for FY 2009, which has reached the upper end of that range, demonstrates Iowans' support for the cause, Rich said.
"Our thanks go out to our players for recognizing this important cause and helping us provide a stable, ongoing source of revenue for the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund," he said.
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