When Oregonians play lottery games, it’s for the dream of a win. From a few dollars on a Scratch-it ticket to the rare billion-dollar jackpots from Powerball and Mega Millions, the thought of winning is what keeps players playing.

While many Oregonians do win prizes at every level (including last year’s $1.3-billion Powerball winners from Milwaukie), not every ticket can be a winner. But most of us know that, when we play, money adds up for important places and programs that matter—like Oregon’s parks.

How exactly do these funds make a difference? Some of the ways might surprise you! For a few examples, let’s explore the Columbia River Gorge for signs of your lottery play at work.

Leaving Portland, one of the first Gorge destinations you’ll encounter is Vista House. Built in 1908 as a “comfort” station, Vista House’s generous lobby windows provide stunning views of the Columbia both upriver and down. Unfortunately, the iconic structure was built at a time when accessibility for people with mobility issues was an afterthought at best. But several years ago, an accessible elevator was installed, rising from the basement level through the lobby floor itself, as needed, for visitors who need assistance. Oregon Lottery funds have been used to help maintain the lift, making Vista House accessible to all.

Continuing along the Gorge, you might next visit a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. The trail comprises three disconnected paved paths along stretches of historic Highway 30 — which predated I-84 as the only road connecting Portland and The Dalles. Together the segments provide a combined 12-plus miles of thrilling scenery and spectacular geologic formations. Here, lottery money has been used for on-going construction and maintenance projects.

Further east, you’ll come to Cascade Locks. Take time to explore the Cascade Locks Marine Park and the Museum. The Museum maintains several collections—documents, furniture, art and more—preserving the history of settlement in that area. Here you’ll also discover that a “park”, when it comes to Lottery funding, can be more than a place of stunning scenery or recreational opportunity; it might also be a place that preserves key elements of Oregon history. In the Cascade Locks Museum, lottery funds have been used to help improve storage for museum collections, ensuring their preservation into the future.

These are just three examples of thousands of lottery-funded park grants that have made a difference across the state of Oregon. Since voters approved lottery funds for our parks in 1998, more than one-billion dollars have financed projects like these to keep Oregon’s best places open and accessible to us all. When you pick up that Scratch-it or Powerball ticket, we hope you win, but, win or lose, know you’re helping preserve the very best of Oregon.