Tom Shepherd, the Founder and President of the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery, announced today that after 33 years the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery is being discontinued.

 “At 76 years old I have come to realize that the time has come for me to wind this venture down,” Shepherd said. “I have spent the last 33 years volunteering and giving my all to the Lottery but it is no longer practical for me to go forward.”

 “I’m going to miss the excitement, fun and commitment and interaction with people across our great Province,” Shepherd added. “They make the Roughriders not only an amazing Saskatchewan asset but also one that is the envy of football fans from all across Canada.”

In over three decades, the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery has raised nearly $22.6 million for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. That money helped usher the Riders through tough financial times, providing an opportunity for the fans to help its community-owned team become the successful organization it is today.

“Tom’s contributions to the Saskatchewan Roughriders cannot be understated. He’s poured countless hours of his life into making sure the club was the best it could be,” said Roughriders President and CEO Craig Reynolds. “His commitment to the Roughriders and the CFL has been marked by inductions into the Plaza of Honour and the CFL Hall of Fame. We can’t thank Tom enough for his tireless work for the team in general and through the Friends of the Riders Touchdown Lottery and we wish him well in his retirement.”

The Lottery has also distributed more than $32 million in prizes and Shepherd along with the Saskatchewan Roughriders wish to thank fans as well as the numerous businesses and individuals who have supported the Friends of the Riders Lottery over the years.

The Roughriders will announce plans to honour Tom in the coming the weeks.