ESTEVAN - For the second time in a row, the Oxbow and District Recreation Board is having a really good run with their Chase the Ace virtual fundraiser.
After the latest draw on April 20, the jackpot was starting at $32,600, which is about halfway to its sell-out maximum of $60,000. Weekly pots have been in the $1,500-2,000 range for a while now, with about 1,000 tickets sold every week.
The game started on Sept. 15, 2021, and continue all the way up to June 15, unless the ace of spades is drawn earlier.
"This is two years in a row where we haven't had an ace drawn since the very beginning of the game. And it's very exciting because that's how the pot grows," said board member Tami Scott. "We haven't had a dip in ticket sales at all. So every week we go up and up and up, selling a little bit more."
The board had 31 draws so far and nine of the winners were out of Oxbow. Scott said this is also equivalent to the proportion of out-of-town purchases, with about a quarter to a third of participants buying tickets from outside the community every week. However, those who are not local usually still have some connection to the Oxbow area and reside mainly in the southeast.
Up until now, they had a couple of people participating in the game from Regina, and some people from Gainsborough, Carlyle, Estevan, Carnduff, Frobisher and other communities in this corner of the province.
The board switched to an online format for the fundraiser about two years ago due to the pandemic and associated restrictions, and their participation rate skyrocketed. And even though the restrictions have been lifted, they decided to keep the game going virtually, allowing for more people to try their luck and support the board.
"It just seems like when people don't feel that they have to be somewhere, [it's easier for them to join]. We've always had e-transfer, but it wasn't really well used until everybody went to e-transfer," Scott said. "So, this year, when we decided to run the game again, it was a no question that we would do it online."
The recreation board has five facilities that they oversee, including the arena, the swimming pool, the museum, Bow Valley Park and the Memorial Hall. Money raised through Chase the Ace will help with annual disbursements. Besides, in the long run, the board plans on building a new hall, so they'll be keeping money aside to eventually get started on that project.
"For now, we're going to be embarking on a needs assessment and public engagement, getting people involved in focus groups and that sort of thing. And then we'll take that and move forward with some conceptual plans. And then hopefully, by 2023, we will really embark on fundraising for that. And it will all be phased," Scott noted.
The next draw will take place on April 27. Tickets for Oxbow Chace the Ace are $10 and can be purchased via e-transfer to [email protected], at the Oxbow Credit Union or the town office. If doing an e-transfer, people are asked to include their phone number and mention if they want pictures of their tickets. People are also asked to purchase tickets in advance if possible, so that board members would have time to make them.
"The whole rec board has really been involved this year, writing tickets and doing all that sort of things, so we're very, very grateful for the rec board for all the work they're putting into this," Scott said.
