Cornwall's Chase the Ace grows, adds volunteers
'Summer's coming, this is going to be a heavy load on us'
As the Chase the Ace prize in Cornwall, P.E.I., has continued to grow — winners will take home an estimated $435,000 — so does its popularity, and the effort required from volunteers.
The lottery — a group effort between the North River Fire Department and the Kingston Legion — began on Sept. 12, 2015 — more than eight months ago.
There's people calling from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick wanting tickets.— Dean Smith, Chase the Ace organizer
"Some are getting to the point where they want to see the ace turned -- they're ready! They're hoping it's tonight," said Dean Smith, the main organizer of Cornwall's Chase the Ace, and a veteran of the North River Fire Department.
Could run 16 more weeks
About 30 volunteers from the fire department have been running a seven-lane drive-thru around the department's headquarters every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — rain or shine.
A dozen or so more volunteers from the legion sell the $5 tickets at a Cornwall grocery store and the Cornwall Esso Friday nights and Saturdays for several hours.
"First week we sold 176 [tickets] — last week it was over 12,000," said Smith of the effort.
There are 16 cards remaining in the draw, meaning the lottery could last 16 more weeks — that's four months. Sixteen precious summer weekends volunteers could be spending with their families.
Enlisted aid
Over the weeks, the firefighters have enlisted help from spouses and children, and retired firefighters have also been lending a hand, but a couple of weeks ago — with summer looming — they knew they needed more.
"They said, 'Summer's coming, this is going to be a heavy load on us,'" said Smith, noting firefighters have also been keeping up with weekly training and going on their regular fire calls — sometimes, even when the draw is underway and the fire hall is full of guests.
Now, the Charlottetown Station #2 and Crapaud fire departments have been invited to help out for a cut of the earnings, and soon cadets from New Haven will be helping prep tickets. This week for the first time, P.E.I. Ground Search and Rescue will also join the drive-thru.
"They will get some funds and awareness," notes Smith, adding the department has other organizations in mind if demand for volunteers continues to rise.
"We like to work with organizations that have already been screened," he said, because of the large amounts of money involved.
'They're very torn'
While some volunteers are on the verge of burnout, Smith said, they also "know the financial reward is there, so they're very torn."
From the start, the fire department's goal has been to raise enough to replace a tanker truck: $350,000. They're almost there — the department's take now stands at $303,000 before expenses.
"Before we would have been taking out a loan for 15 years!" said Smith.
'Positive environment'
The volunteers have a cookout during the drive-thru, and sometimes kindly neighbours drop by with treats.
I just hope we stay ahead of things!— Dean Smith, Chase the Ace organizer
"It's a very positive environment," said Smith.
Buyers know their money is going to support something they care about in their community.
"They're very supportive."
Out-of-province interest grows
With interest in the game growing weekly, Smith said, volunteers have been brainstorming better ways to do things.
One challenge is dealing with customers who want to make large purchases — currently, volunteers fill out a separate slip of paper for each $5 ticket.
The largest single purchase to date has been $1,000 in tickets, Smith said, but last week a customer inquired if he could buy 350 tickets this Saturday.
"There's people calling from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick wanting tickets," he added.
While organizers plan to insist people travel to P.E.I. to purchase tickets in person — they don't want to get into phone purchases or e-transfers — they are starting to work on a system where, if people email their names and phone numbers, volunteers will prepare their tickets in advance in order to save time.
-
Chase the Ace Inverness winner helps son become lobster fisherman
-
Summerside, P.E.I., woman shares Chase the Ace winnings with best friend
Luck of the draw
The jackpot is 30 per cent of ticket sales plus $500.
The rest of the winnings will be shared between the fire department and the legion, and the government gets a two-per-cent cut as part of the lottery license, Smith said.
As ticket sales mount each week, the jackpot grows until someone draws the ace of spades.
Each week there are also major consolation prizes — $243,000 has already been paid out.
Popular fundraisers
Chase the Ace lotteries have become very popular fundraisers for non-profit organizations in the region — a game in Inverness, Cape Breton triggered the craze last year, with the winner eventually taking home $1.7 million after months of drama.
Videos on the fundraiser's Facebook page showing how the drive-thru works have been viewed more than 4,000 times.
Although the fundraiser has turned out to be a lot of work, Smith is buoyed by the excitement, and said he'll be there until the ace is drawn.
"I enjoy it. This is the biggest fundraiser I've ever been in... I just hope we stay ahead of things!"