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Wed Aug 31 10:39pm EDT

No $50K prize for 11-year-old who made 89-foot hockey shot

By Sean Leahy

Earlier this month at a charity hockey event in Faribault, Minn., 11-year-old Nate Smith made an 89-foot shot from center ice to win $50,000.

The problem was that Nate's twin brother, Nick, was the one who purchased the winning raffle ticket. When the time came to attempt the shot, Nick was outside of the arena unaware he had won, so in stepped Nate to score the miraculous goal.

After the boys' father, Pat, came forward the next day and admitted to event organizers about the twins' switch, Odds on Promotions, the company that insured the event, held up awarding the prize money.

On Wednesday, the company decided against giving Nate the $50,000 and instead announced it will donate $20,000 to youth hockey in Minnesota in the boys' names. Odds On Promotions' reasoning was that the switch breached the contract.

Odds on Promotion president Mark Gilmartin said in a statement:

"We greatly respect the eventual honesty of the Smith family. [...] Although we're unable to the pay the claim on Nate's incredible shot, we are confident our donation will help foster a positive environment for present and future youth hockey in Minnesota."

Pat Smith told the Associated Press that while the boys are disappointed about losing out on the money -- which they had said they'd put towards college -- they're happy that youth hockey in Minnesota will benefit. And due to their honesty the boys earned scholarships to the Shattuck-St. Mary's hockey school's summer camp.

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