The wildly popular Chase the Ace fundraiser, which is attracting huge crowds to the Arlington Hotel in Maryfield, is part 50-50 draw and part luck of the cards.
The premise of the fundraiser is simple. Participants buy $5 tickets and are entered in a draw. Organizers select one ticket from the pool, and the winner automaticallygets 20 per cent of the money that's been raised. Meanwhile, 50 per cent of the money goes to the Maryfield Recreation Board, and the remaining 30 per cent is added to the building jackpot.
In addition to winning 20 per cent of the money, the winning-ticket holder is invited to draw a card from a standard 52-card deck. If they draw the ace of spades, they win the jackpot.
So far, this year's fundraiser has gone on for three weeks, meaning there are many cards left to pick from. The fundraiser has also been a huge win for the local community of Maryfield.
Fifty per cent of the fundraiser's money is going towards the operational expenses of the Maryfield Rink.
鈥淚t needs to survive like everything else,鈥� says Brendan Paliuk, Maryfield Recreation Board member. 鈥淚t鈥檚 struggling right now due to COVID-19 restrictions.鈥�
In addition to the Chase The Ace there is also a weekly 50/50 draw in which tickets can be purchased at the Arlington Hotel on the Sunday only. It makes the evening that much more exciting.
聽鈥淚 started putting on a prime rib Sunday special and this was a good fit to also host the Chase the Ace at the hotel,鈥� explains Paliuk.
Despite COVID-19, people passing through Maryfield have helped boost local businesses and purchased tickets hoping they'll be the lucky winner who gets the jackpot ace.
鈥淭his is the rec board鈥檚 first time holding a Chase the Ace fundraiser,鈥� explains Paliuk. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e just trying to figure everything out.鈥�
Tickets can be purchased at Lincoln Farm Supply or at the Arlington Hotel.
鈥淭icket sales have been very successful so far,鈥� says Paliuk. 鈥淥ur locals support our fundraisers very well but we have also had many out-of-town buyers as well from surrounding communities.鈥�
Paliuk goes on to explain: 鈥淥ur main focus is just to have everything balance the first few weeks and make sure it鈥檚 done properly. Everything is so SLGA-regulated that we just want to make sure that we鈥檙e 鈥榙oing it right鈥欌��.especially since we haven鈥檛 done this kind of fundraiser before.鈥�
鈥淐hase The Ace goes until June,鈥� says Paliuk. 鈥淎nd then we鈥檒l start it up again after harvest and we鈥檒l see about getting into e-transers.鈥�
鈥淚f the ace of spades is drawn within the next few weeks, it鈥檒l start all over again until the end of June.鈥�
Barb Swallow did a lot of the research of holding the Chase the Ace fundraiser.
The jackpot is already at $880.00 starting next week and that鈥檚 after only three weeks of ticket sales.
At this point, tickets are only available at Lincoln Farm Supply in Maryfield or the Arlington Hotel, Maryfield.
Go to the Maryfield Recreation Board鈥檚 Facebook page for more information on Chase the Ace.
Other fundraisers the Rec Board have done in the past include Community Acres with donations from far and wide, and their Winter Fun Daze.
鈥淥f course that鈥檚 something that won鈥檛 be happening this year.鈥�
Someone also donated a gym to the town with 100 per cent of the money raised going to the Rec Board.
