The countdown begins.

Only a week is left before the winning ticket in the Boothbay Region YMCA’s $10,000 lottery is drawn on Dec. 31 at noon in the Y lobby. You don’t have to be present to win.

Tickets at $100 each (with the winning amount based on the number of tickets sold) are available at the Y front desk or from any staff or board member. Buy a ticket individually or with family, friends, co-workers or neighbors. Only 200 tickets will be sold.

The Y portion of the lottery will be used for community initiatives.