Chase the Ace jackpot reaches $750K

When P.E.I. 's North River Fire Department and the Kingston Legion started the Chase the Ace draw last fall they were hoping to make about $20,000 each, but now their earnings are approaching half a million.

And if the draw winner this Saturday pulls the ace of spades, that person will take home close to $750,000.

"When we started this back in September we never dreamt it would get to where it's at today" said North River Fire Department Chief Anson Grant.

Cars have formed long lines at the North River Fire Department, just outside of Charlottetown, every Saturday for the last few weeks. Last week 50,000 tickets were sold, but no one has managed to pull the ace from the dwindling deck. There are just 12 cards left.

Financial security for Legion

Every ticket costs $5. The fire department and the Legion each get $1.25 from every ticket sold, with the rest going to weekly draw winners and to the building jackpot.

Kingston Legion president Alan Crane said unlike many Legions across the country his group was in OK financial shape before the chase the ace began, and there is a lot more financial security now.

Crane just returned from a national convention recently where he heard many branches are struggling. Crane said too much energy in a lot of Legion branches is spent just trying to manage the financial assets or generate revenue to stay afloat.

"It's not unusual in the last decade for anywhere from 150 to 200 branches to be closing across the country" Crane said.

"Now we don't have that financial worry. We can concentrate on bringing in new members, retaining our members and doing what Legions are supposed to do, as opposed to just being a business."

Other charities benefiting

The Legion is sharing the wealth.

It donated $5,000 to the Red Cross's efforts to help Fort McMurray and it has doubled graduation prize money it gives out to local schools.

Plans are in the works for a veterans' dinner, something the branch hasn't done in 10 years.

There have been other spin offs too. With all the attention on the chase the ace draw, the Legion is getting more bookings for other events and it has new members signing up.

A new fire truck

While chase the ace is a big windfall for the fire department, the money is already spent.

It needs to replace a 30-year-old fire truck. Certification rules require the department to have a more modern one. Normally that purchase would require a loan.

Please choose the ace and let us off the hook.- Alan Crane

"A truck like that costs half a million dollars, so we're almost to that goal now," said Grant.

"It's going to be some nice to be able to just go and order the truck and write a cheque for it."

It's taken a lot of volunteer hours to manage the fundraiser, but both groups say they would not hesitate to do it all over again.

"It's really exceeded our expectations," said Grant.

But they are hoping however the ace of spades is found soon. 

"There are lots of us every Saturday night we're out by the stage, at this point, saying a silent prayer that someone will please choose the ace and let us off the hook," said Crane.

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