Nova Scotia

Inverness Legion's Chase the Ace jackpot continues to grow

The Inverness Legion's Chase the Ace jackpot is still up for grabs. The weekly draw attracted more than 2,000 people on Saturday.

Next Saturday's jackpot is expected to be close to $300,000

People stood in line for more than one hour to buy a Chase the Ace ticket in Inverness on Saturday. (George Mortimer/CBC)

More than 2,000 people stood in line for more than an hour on a hot summer day to buy a $20 ticket for a chance at the community jackpot.

The Inverness Legion's Chase the Ace jackpot was standing at $278,000 Saturday afternoon.

Henry Talbot said he told his wife he had a hunch about going to Inverness. (George Mortimer/CBC)

Numbered tickets were sold over a two-hour period. Glace Bay's Henry Talbot's number was chosen and he got to pick from the deck of cards to try to find the ace.

But he drew the seven of spades.

Talbot did take home the second prize of $47,000. He says he told his wife Sharon he had a hunch about going in Inverness.

"I was really kind of shocked at the time, overwhelmed, but I remember sitting down at the kitchen table a couple of weeks ago and I said to her 'we're going to go up there, we're gonna try that, I feel lucky," he said.

"God was looking over and I'm very happy to be the winner and I really enjoy coming up to Inverness."

Money raised by the draw will go towards improvements at the legion and expansion plans for the Inverness Cottage Workshop.

Next Saturday's jackpot is expected to be worth close to $300,000.