The weekly Catch the Ace draw in Hagersville took on the air of a community festival on Thursday.
Thousands of people lined up to purchase tickets for a chance to win a jackpot of more than $1.75 million.
Elvis tribute artist Michael Caton aka Covid Elvis entertained the crowds outside of the Hagersville Legion where the tickets are sold and the draw takes place. Other groups and individuals were selling snacks and beverages along the lineup route.
Dan Matten of the Hagersville Lions Club said people started staking out their spots in line at midnight or earlier. Tickets went on sale at 9 am
There were 150,000 tickets available for Thursday’s draw, Matten said.
This week’s winning ticket will be worth more than $170,000.
The Hagersville Lions Club and the Hagersville Rocks committee of the Hagersville Chamber of Commerce are running the draw and will split the proceeds.
The Lions will give about half the proceeds to the local food bank and use the reminder for Lions projects.
Hagersville Rocks will give their proceeds to the West Haldimand General Hospital Foundation.
Here’s how the draw works.
Each playing card from a deck of 52 is placed in separate, numbered envelopes.
When a ticket is purchased, the buyer puts their name on each ticket along with the number of the envelope they believe contains the ace of spades.
One ticket is pulled from a drum at about 8 pm on Thursday evening, and that winner takes home a cash prize of 20 per cent of the day’s ticket sales.
The numbered envelope the weekly winner had written on their ticket is then opened, and if it contains the ace of spades, that individual wins the jackpot and the draw ends.
Eight envelopes remained for the March 30 draw.
With files from Brian Thompson, Brantford Expositor
