Excitement is building for another progressive lottery in Haldimand County.
Dubbed Catch the Ace 2.0, a new event organized by the Fisherville Lions Club launched April 24 in support of local charities and community groups.
A steady stream of customers visited the Fisherville Lions Community Centre (18 Main Ave. W.) on Wednesday afternoon for the event’s first draw.
A similar fundraiser in 2023 that lasted 23 weeks generated $115,000 for charities and a $72,000 prize for progressive jackpot winner Mike Smith.
The next draw is Wednesday, May 1, with a progressive jackpot that grows each week the ace of spades remains in play.
On April 24, Week 1 winner Shirley Kiefer won $640 after her choice of envelope No. 30 revealed the four of hearts.
Organizer and Fisherville Lions Club member Ron Maas said he would like to see this year’s Catch the Ace continue until Christmastime.
“Our goal is just to raise some good money for charities. That’s what Lions do,” he said.
There’s also a separate 50/50 draw benefiting local charities and community groups during each week of Catch the Ace.
In addition to the charitable component, Maas said Catch the Ace offers community members a chance to socialize over drinks while waiting for the 8 p.m. draw.
“People support Catch the Ace because they know the bulk of the money is going back into the community. That’s why Catch the Ace is such a great community event,” Maas added.
This year’s fundraising recipients include the Norfolk-Haldimand Community Hospice, Haldimand-Norfolk Senior Support Services, hospital foundations in Hagersville and Dunnville, food banks in Cayuga, Jarvis, Hagersville and Caledonia, minor hockey groups in Cayuga and Hagersville, and Fisherville Minor Sports.
Maas said he would like to see this year’s fundraising surpass the 2023 figure.
“More than last time but not as crazy as Hagersville,” he said.
Fisherville Lion Gene Otterman said Catch the Ace has boosted interest in the Lions club and rentals of the special event hall.
“We’ve got people coming from all over to put shows on now,” he said.
A Wednesday night hall booking later this year may need to be rescheduled if the lottery is still running, he noted.
Catch the Ace is a weekly progressive raffle lottery that uses a deck of 52 playing cards. Each card is randomly placed in an envelope numbered one to 52.
In Fisherville, tickets are sold Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 7:45 p.m., with an 8 p.m. drawing shown via Facebook livestream. Tickets must be purchased during sale hours from a designated volunteer, with no online sales. Tickets are $10 each or three for $20 — cash only. The winner does not need to attend the draw.
A winning ticket is drawn each week, with the lucky ticket holder receiving 20 per cent of that week’s proceeds. On their ballot, the winner selects a number from one to 52, to reveal the corresponding envelope containing a card.
The lottery continues each week until the ace of spades is revealed. If the winner reveals an envelope containing any other card, the lottery continues, with 30 per cent of that week’s ticket sales added to the progressive jackpot. The remaining 50 per cent of ticket sales is gross profit for charities.
If the weekly winner chooses the envelope that reveals the ace of spades, they win the weekly prize and the progressive jackpot.
Hagersville’s 2023 Catch the Ace grossed more than $3 million for local charities and generated a $2-million progressive jackpot. Caledonia’s Catch the Ace, which wrapped up earlier this year, raised more than $600,000 for the Community Support Centre of Haldimand-Norfolk and a progressive jackpot of more than $450,000.
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