Thunder Bay – LIVING – After six months in hiding, the Ace of Spades has finally been found! The United Way of Thunder Bay & Port Arthur Rotary’s Catch the Ace Raffle came to a close this past Thursday, after raising $33,152 in funding that will support hundreds of local individuals, children, families and seniors who are experiencing issues of poverty.
The lucky winners known as the “Dream Team” (Kevin Holloway, Steve McAuley, Jim McDonald, Warren Philp, John Stephenson, Laurie Tulloch, Bill Ulakovic, Brenda Winter) won not only the weekly jackpot of $494 but also took home the Progressive Jackpot of $19,440. They chose envelope #4 which revealed the Ace of Spades that has been hiding for 23 weeks.
Albert Brulé, CEO of United Way of Thunder Bay shares, “We are so thrilled with the success of our very first Catch the Ace Raffle and impressed in how the community rallied together and stepped up to show their local love. The statement ‘When you win, our community wins’, has never been truer! Together, we raised over $33,000 that was contributed to various organizations to address immediate needs of local people and families.”
Organizations that received funding from the campaign included Our Kids Count, The Dew Drop Inn, Shelter House, Roots to Harvest, March of Dimes, Boys & Girls Club, Shkoday, and Evergreen, A United Neighbourhood.
Jim Madder, the President of Port Arthur Rotary, comments, “It took 23 draws but the ace of spades couldn’t hide forever. We hope everyone enjoyed the thrill of chasing the ace. Ace Man was spotted all over Thunder Bay! Thank you to everyone who contributed to this exciting campaign and made it a huge success.”
Catch the Ace was launched back in March with a draw date held every Thursday. All proceeds raised supported various programs and initiatives with a focus on food, housing, clothing, crisis counselling services and more.
Stay tuned for the next round of Catch the Ace!
