The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville.
There was no winner Thursday night so $264,771 was added to the pot, bringing the total prize money to an estimated $1,526,067.
That’s about a $300,000 increase from a week ago.
‘Catch the Ace’ is a progressive raffle where players purchase tickets to guess which envelope contains the ace of spades.
The lottery, organized by the Hagersville and District Lions Club, has been running for 44 weeks.
‘Catch the Ace’ fever has shown no signs of slowing down, with the club saying they sold 132,598 tickets on Thursday.
Hagersville, which has a population of just over 3,000, has seen a big boost in visitors thanks to the draw. As a result, organizers have brought in outhouses, dumpsters and police to direct traffic.
The community has also introduced measures to deal with the long lineups, with a new route to keep pedestrians off the main roads and ensure community safety.
Half the money raised through ‘Catch the Ace’ will go to charity, with 30 per cent added to the progressive jackpot. The remaining 20 per cent is given to a weekly winner.
On Thursday night, the lucky ticket belonged to Jim Nie. He took home $176,514 in prize money.
Weekly winner announced in the 'Catch the Ace' draw on March 23, 2023.
The Hagersville and District Lions Club says they raised $441,285 for charity on Thursday, bringing their grand total to more than $1.7 million.
Tickets are $10 each (or three for $20) and can only be purchased in-person at the Hagersville legion on Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 .m.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ draw happens every Thursday at 8 p.m. and can be viewed here.
