Strap on your best pair of running shoes because it’s once again time to chase the ace. The Meadow Lake Hospital’s third-ever Chase the Ace fundraiser kicks off next week in an effort to garner enough money to purchase much needed equipment for the local hospital. According to Meadow Lake Hospital Foundation president Scott Campbell, the initiative always leads to excitement – not only for the organization – but for the community as a whole.
“This is one of our major fundraisers of the year,” Campbell explained. “The first two were very successful, with the first raising more than $60,000 in profits and last year’s raising more than $40,000. It’s proven to be very profitable for us.” Tickets for the progressive lottery fundraiser go for $5 each and will be available starting Tuesday (Aug. 27). Draws will take place every two weeks starting Sept. 10 at 7:15 p.m. at the Meadow Lake Hospital. Each draw will see one lucky winner receive 20 per cent of the weekly ticket sales and a chance to draw the ace of spades to win the growing jackpot which is 30 per cent of total sales. Tickets can be purchased through the hospital foundation’s Facebook page, at www.meadowlakehospitalfoundation.com from any committee member, or by sending an eTransfer to MLHFchasetheace@gmail.com.
“You can even go to the hospital to get them,” Campbell added. “A lot of people did that last year – went down to the lab, they have them there – and paid cash or debit.” If a ticket buyer’s name is drawn, but they do not answer when the foundation calls on draw dates, a proxy will select a card from the deck for them. “When we started this, we were just coming out of the COVID pandemic and people really wanted to take part – we were busy all year selling tickets,” Campbell continued. “Last year we didn’t raise as much, but I thought we still did really well. You can buy a lot of equipment with $40,000.”
Campbell went on to describe Chase the Ace as a year-long commitment by the foundation board, noting the volunteers are very energetic. He also said, given the progressive nature of the lottery, the ace of spades could be drawn at any time. “The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority controls all the rules, but if the ace is drawn on the fi rst two to three draws they may let us start another one, but, if it goes halfway through, we would probably have to end it,” he noted. “The ace can go at any time, but we have a year to complete the fundraiser. The fi rst two times it went right to the end, with us getting down to fi ve or six cards last time. It can get very exciting near the end.”
The hospital foundation’s other major fundraiser each year is the Festival of Trees (scheduled for Nov. 30), but Campbell believes the Chase the Ace is able to reach more people and more potential donors. “More people want to play, want to gamble then perhaps go to the Festival of Trees – all it takes is to buy a few tickets and you’re supporting us,” he said.
A full list of equipment the foundation plans to purchase with money raised this year is available on the group’s website. “We actually had our first meeting of the summer recently, and one of the doctors asked for a specific piece of equipment for use on babies in the emergency room,” Campbell stated. “It was a $7,000 piece of equipment, which seems like a lot, but when it comes to medical equipment it isn’t very much. We had enough money already, so we were able to purchase it, but we do have a full list online of what we plan to purchase going forward.”
In closing, Campbell spoke of the importance of supporting the Meadow Lake Hospital Foundation and its efforts. “All of us are going to use the hospital,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how you vote, what your religious beliefs are, none of that matters. We’re all going to use it. We don’t take care of the staffing, and I know there’s been a lot of negative publicity when it comes to staffing at Saskatchewan hospitals. We buy equipment, and, if we have good equipment in Meadow Lake, we’re going to attract more doctors and nurses. We also have a really beautiful hospital, a lot of great people who work there and great equipment we’ve purchased over the years. Everybody can throw $5 toward buying a ticket. And, who knows? Maybe you’ll win.”