The Lake Windermere Lions have their eyes glued to the frozen lake, as the day and time it melts could mean $1,000 for a lucky ticket holder.

The Ice Out Draw is back for its 25th year. Tickets went on sale on January 3, and will be closing on April 18, with the tickets being draw no later than 8 p.m. at the Lions’ Hall.

Tickets are $2 each, or five for $10, with all proceeds going to the Lake Windermere District Lions Club School Scholarship fund, Citizenship Award and Dry Grad David Thompson Secondary School students.

When buying a ticket, participants write down the date and time they believe Lake Windermere’s ice will be cleared from a specific area.

The area of the lake is from the point of land known as Fort Point, within the District of Invermere, north to the highway bridge over the Columbia River.

The ice will be declared out for the first time prior to the draw. Lions members will determine when no ice remains in the draw-applicable area, and will be present at the time of declaration.

The ticket holder who guesses closest to the ice-out time and date will win $1,000. In the event of a tie between two or more participants, the prize money will be divided equally between the winning ticket holders.

The Lions will be selling a maximum of 3,000 tickets.

“We hope it goes to someone who needs it,” said Lions club member Henry Hoffmann, who has been with the Lake Windermere District Lions club for seven years. “I don’t want to see any night guesses on the tickets though, because I refuse to get up at 2 a.m. to check the ice!”

Tickets are being sold at Sobeys, AG Valley Foods and Invermere Home Hardware by Lions Club members and volunteers.

“It’s good to help kids, graduates are important,” said Hoffmann of the donated proceeds for the draw. “The scholarships help them with university and college tuition, and good results come with that.”

For more information about the Ice Out Draw, call Hoffmann at 250-341-1410.