Friday’s are “Chase the Ace” night and if one is going to catch this ace, you must travel to the King George Tavern in Manor. I have no problem finding the tavern, seems like I may have been here before.
There was a good crowd gathered last Friday, Oct. 4 and it is evident that catching this ace will be well worth the chase! Last year’s winner claimed close to $4,500.00.
Seated at a table inside are Brayden Rowley and Craig Savill. They are selling the tickets for the first draw. Craig proudly displays he has purchased ticket number “one.” He is off to a good start it would seem. The tickets sell for $5.00 each and you can purchase as many as you like. There is a steady line of patrons buying up tickets. The night’s sales are well ahead of last year’s.
Chase The Ace is a fundraiser for the Manor Fire Department, which Brayden and Craig are both volunteers. This is the second year holding this fundraiser and the money raised will be going towards the purchase of PPE (personal protective equipment) for the Department.
For the night’s first draw and each subsequent draw, tickets are on sale from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. only. Each draw will be held shortly after 7 p.m. Once the money is balanced and the tickets are readied in the drum. Longtime member of the fire department Bill Shiels gave the drum a good spin and I am invited to draw the lucky ticket tonight. The winner is Dakota Rose, who has purchased his ticket by proxy and is not in attendance. By rule he has named a member of the fire department who has to be in attendance to draw his card. The cards, a deck of standard playing cards including jokers, are fanned out on the table and the three of clubs is pulled.
The prize money is as follows: the ticket holder receives 20% of the current night’s sales. Should the ace of clubs been pulled, the winner would receive 30%. Fifty percent of the money collected goes to the fire department and the other portion goes to build the prize pool. The final draw will be on March 13, 2020. Should the “ace of spades” be drawn before the final night, a new deck of cards will then be used and the chase continues.
The fundraiser is strictly regulated by SLGA (Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association) guidelines. Lucille Dunn, who is the mayor of Manor, is the liason with SLGA. She has the task of accounting for the fundraiser and seeing all regulations set by SLGA are followed.
She explains how the “proxy” works. Anyone that wants to support and participate in the fundraiser can put their name on a list to be entered in the draw. The proxy lists are at Manor Agencies, Manor and ERP Hardware in Redvers.
These volunteers should be commended, as well as Kim and Judy who are the hosts at the King George tavern. They will be displaying the weekly “pool value” sign in the front window of the Tavern.
Whether you can attend in person or purchase tickets under proxy, this is a very worthwhile event everyone can participate in, that benefits the community and surrounding area.
