SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – It’s big wins like Saturday’s $121,000 Chase the Ace prize in Miscouche that still create a buzz around the community-based fundraising events.
At the Miscouche Legion on Jan. 12, with only three cards left, Tammy Broderick drew the ace of spades on the weekend to take home the top prize. But the card holder isn’t the only winner in Chase the Ace draws. The organization hosting the event also receives cash.
Just ask Clayton Smith in New London, another of the many Prince County communities that hosts a regular draw.
“We’ve raised over $106,000 through Chase the Ace,” said Smith, president of the New London Community Complex.
The campaign has been running for three years.
In New London half the pot goes to the organizations running it, one-third back into the pot and the final 20 per cent to the first winner (if they don’t draw the ace of spades).
“We used the money to help pay for the community’s sewer project, renovations to the community complex as well as install equipment in the kitchen," he said. "It’s also run in partnership with the New London Fire Company and the money has helped pay off their new fire truck.”
Smith was wary about calling the weekly draw gambling.
“We use an electronic system to generate the draw numbers. 50/50 Central was the original name of the program. It’s similar to systems that large establishments (use) like the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Raptors or other big groups,” said Smith.
He said the program has worked well since the complex began using it. It also guarantees that no two numbers will be the same. That was not the case for a Chase the Ace in another Atlantic province where a number was drawn and two people had the matching digits.
“In that case they had to pay out to both winners, because there’s no way to choose, or to redraw. But since we use this, the numbers are so helter-skelter it’s not going to happen.”
The cost of the program is about 10 per cent of the revenue generated by Chase the Ace.
Big stakes
Smith said the weekly draws allowed him to meet new people he would not otherwise, and gave the community opportunities it wouldn’t have without the money.
It can mean big stakes, he said.
Chase the Ace popularity has grown since 2013, when it first started to appear in more Canadian communities.
In October 2015, an Englishtown, N.S. woman spent $125 in tickets one night to have it pay off with a jackpot of $1.7 million in Inverness, N.S.
In May 2016, a Sydney, N.S., woman won $2.9 million from a Chase the Ace.
In July 2018, a Chase the Ace in Margaree in Cape Breton saw a nephew and aunt take home $1.2 million.
It helps when there is a crowd at the draws.
“We have it set up so a person doesn’t have to be present to win,” said Smith. “So, when it’s a small group, it’s not that exciting. It’s better when you see that person’s name come on the screen and then they start jumping up and down."
Edwin DesRoches, president of the Miscouche Legion, knows the feeling.
Miscouche is only one of multiple Chase the Ace events held across the Island.
“Saturday’s draw was a packed house,” he said.
The legion has been running its campaign for about five years.
“So far, we’ve had good luck, we’ve had two big draws over $100,000," DesRoches said. "One in 2016, the second the other night.”
The portion of money that goes toward the legion is used for upkeep of the facilities as well as donations to local schools, community groups and more.
“Our facility is 50 years old, so there’s always something,” he said. “It’s been a big help for things we wouldn’t have done. If we didn’t have this money coming in, it’d be coming from a different place.”
DesRoches wouldn’t disclose the amount of money raised for the Legion through Chase the Ace, but said there has been about $60,000 paid out in consolation (the 20 per cent winner).
Unlike the New London initiative, the Miscouche draw uses double rolls of raffle tickets where one goes to the buyer and the other goes into the draw.
It’s been a gratifying experience, DesRoches said.
“It’s been great for our staff who work here and have put so much work into it, but it’s also been a huge success for the winners and groups we’re able to give back to.”
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