A group of Thunder Bay-area residents have something to celebrate over the long weekend, after taking home a total of nearly $20,000 in the Catch the Ace charity raffle.
The raffle, organized by the United Way of Thunder Bay and Port Arthur Rotary, raised over $33,000 to benefit local groups addressing issues of poverty, including Our Kids Count, the Dew Drop Inn, Shelter House, Roots to Harvest, and more.
The lucky winners, a group of eight dubbed the “dream team,” won not only the weekly jackpot of $494, but also took home the progressive jackpot of $19,440. The group scored the windfall after choosing the envelope containing the ace of spades, which had eluded other winners for 23 weeks since the raffle launched.
The first-time fundraiser was a success the two charitable groups will look to replicate with future rounds of Catch the Ace, said local United Way CEO Albert Brulé.
“We’re 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,” he said.
Note: An earlier version of this article did not include Steve McAuley;s name in the photo caption. TBNewswatch apologizes for the error.
