It's hard to believe, but it's been a full 30 days since the West Side Nut Club announced the winning ticket number for the 2021 Fall Festival Half Pot drawing on the night of Saturday, October 9th. The 30-day mark is significant because it's the final day for whoever holds the winning number to come forward and claim their prize. During a press conference Monday afternoon at their office on the corner of Franklin and 11th Streets, members of the Club officially announced the winner had claimed their prize.

Speaking on behalf of the Club, this year's Festival Chairman, Ryan Beck, began the press conference and said the winning ticket holder had come forward, but elected to remain anonymous which is allowed under Indiana law.

However, Lisa Frank with Harding & Schymanski, the accounting firm who oversee each year’s half pot, was present at Monday's press conference to speak on their behalf. While she wasn't at liberty to reveal all the details, she did say the winner was from the Tri-State area, and this year was their first trip ever to the Fall Festival.

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In just its third year, the half pot climbed to an incredible $1,515,260. That's $123,885 more than was raised last year when ticket sales happened over three weekends in September since there was no festival, and roughly over $300,000 more than 2019, the year the drawing debuted. Meaning the winning ticket holder is $757,630 richer (before taxes, of course).

As they've done each of the previous years, the Club will combine their half of the jackpot with the other funds raised through booth rental space at the Fall Festival and donate it to local schools, non-profits, and other organizations. The decision on which organizations get money and how much they receive is made by the club as a whole. Organizations first request funding through an online form on the Club's website where they provide details on what their organization is, what it does, how much money they would like to receive, and how that money if granted by the Club, will be used.

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