Skip to content

Community Links hopes residents Chase the Ace

ChaseTheAce1
Staff at Community Links are excited about its Chase the Ace progressive raffle fundraiser, where participants have a chance to win an ever-increasing pot of money if they draw the ace of hearts from a deck of cards. Photo Submitted/For Rocky View Publishing

For the first time, Community Links will hold a progressive 50/50 raffle with its new Chase the Ace fundraising campaign.

“We know that 50/50 draws are always very popular because people like to win cash,” said Laurie Jacob-Toews, community engagement manager. “It’s a nice, easy thing that we can all use, so we thought we’d try something different and try a Chase the Ace event to help us raise some funds for the programs and services we offer.”

The fundraiser will begin Nov. 1 and could run until Dec. 13, she said, depending on how the raffle unfolds. Rather than hold an event-focused fundraiser as it has in the past, Community Links wanted to do something “new and fresh” for this year’s fundraiser, Jacob-Toews said.

“Each Friday night that we’re at different locations throughout [Airdrie], we’ll be doing three separate 50/50 draws,” she said.

Tickets will be sold for the three draws – which will take place hourly between 5 and 7 p.m. – until five minutes before the draw, at a cost of $2 per ticket. Participants must be at least 18 years old and must remain present to win.

Unlike typical 50/50 draws where the winner receives 50 per cent of the pot, Jacob-Toews explained, the winner of the draw will receive 20 per cent – the remaining 30 per cent goes back into the pot.

The draw winner will still have the opportunity to win the pot, she added, by drawing a card from a deck – pull the ace of hearts, and you win the grand prize. The pot will continue to increase throughout the course of 21 draws until the ace of hearts is found.

“As the draw gets further in, the pot increases and your chances increase because there’s less cards in the deck,” Jacob-Toews said. “It’s kind of one of those unknown fundraisers – we don’t know how much we’re going to make.”

The organization has partnered with a number of local restaurants, including Balzac Brewery, Brewsters, Toad ‘n’ Turtle Pubhouse & Grill, and Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual, which will each host Community Links throughout the duration of the fundraiser. Some of the establishments will extend their happy hours or offer specials on food and drinks to support the campaign, she added.

Community Links is waiting to confirm two of the draw locations, but as soon as those details are finalized, Jacob-Toews said, information on the draws will be posted on nrvcl.ab.ca

“The great thing about this being out in different locations is it gives us the opportunity to get our name out there, too, and let more people know who we are,” she said. “Although we’ve been in the community since 1982, we still find there’s people who don’t know who we are, and there might be someone out there who could use our services.”

Serving Airdrie and surrounding communities – including Beiseker, Irricana, Kathyrn, Balzac, Crossfield and Rocky View County – Community Links’ mandate is to “strengthen individuals, families and communities,” according to its mission statement, by providing them with “services, supports and resources.” Jacob-Toews said all non-profits, including Community Links, rely on fundraisers to ensure they can continue to offer programs and services.

“Any time we receive funding through fundraising, it allows us to put the money where it’s most needed,” she said. “There are times where maybe some of our funding has changed, or we need to add extra staff to meet the need in a certain program.”

The fundraiser is regulated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), Jacob-Toews said, and tickets are limited to a total of 5,000 – meaning Community Links could raise as much as $5,000. If the ace is drawn early, she added, the organization may consider applying for a new license with AGLC to restart the raffle.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks