HAY RIVER
Chase the Ace will be returning this Friday. The beneficiary of this fundraiser? The Arctic Winter Games Host Society.

In August of last year, Evellyn Coleman sold Chase the Ace tickets at the Doghouse Sports Bar. The second Chase the Ace in Hay River will begin on Sept. 15 at the Doghouse and at the Royal Canadian Legion. - NNSL file photo

"It's obviously a relief to finally have it secured," said Greg Rowe, president of the host society.

"We're obviously hopeful that we can have a long and successful run," he said. "That would go a long ways to help in the games and ensuring that what we're planning for in the games can happen."

The first weekly draw in the popular lottery, which captivated the community last year in its first incarnation, is set for Sept. 15.

The host society was one of two organizations to have applications for a Chase the Ace licence submitted to the town since last year.

However, the town delayed awarding a licence while preparing a special Chase the Ace bylaw, which was approved July 25.

Rowe said the host society is disappointed it took so long to get a licence, pointing out the games are just 26 weeks away.

However, he said he is not blaming the town for the delay.

"It was a process they had to go through to change the bylaw and to get it current, and they've certainly done that and did a good job on it," he said. "It's just one of those things. It would have been nice to have had it going sooner."

Rowe said, if the host society happens to raise a significant amount of money with Chase the Ace, it would help cover expenses, mean less of a burden on sponsors, and possibly mean legacy projects, if it helps create a surplus for the games.

Hay River's first Chase the Ace - which involves trying to draw the ace of spades from a decreasing deck of 52 cards - was run last year by the Hay River Curling Club. That lottery paid out weekly prizes and a final total prize of $511,034, and earned the club about $600,000.

If the ace of spades is not drawn, the holder of the winning ticket receives 20 per cent of that week's ticket sales, 30 per cent goes to an accumulating jackpot and 50 per cent is retained by the licensee.

"There's no guarantee that anybody will reach the same success that the last one did," said Rowe.

The host society president noted an organization can't budget for any significant amount from Chase the Ace.

"You don't know if the card is going to get drawn the first week or the 52nd week," he said. "It was a great thing for the Curling Club and we hope to have similar success."

Rowe noted the idea of a lottery very similar to Chase the Ace was included in the South Slave's bid for the games in late 2014.

Now, the host society is aiming for a Chase the Ace in the other host community.

"We're pretty excited and hopeful that we can get one over in Fort Smith, as well," said Rowe, noting a copy of the Hay River bylaw has been sent to the Town of Fort Smith.

Since the new Chase the Ace has the potential to run past the Arctic Winter Games, Rowe was asked whether the weekly draw would be held during the week of the games.

"That's optimistic," he replied. "We'd like to be still going. That would ensure that we're probably hitting some pretty significant dollars."

Whether there would be a week off for Chase the Ace during the games would be decided at that time.

Rowe said ticket sales for the Sept. 15 Chase the Ace will take place at the Doghouse Sports Bar and the Royal Canadian Legion.

After town council passed its Chase the Ace bylaw, the Arctic Winter Games Host Society and the other unidentified applicant both had to fill out new forms.

Judy Goucher, the town's senior administrative officer, noted both applicants had passing scores on a so-called decision matrix.

However, the AWG Host Society scored the highest.

If there are no other applications to judge, the other applicant will get the next licence once the Arctic Winter Games Host Society is completed running its Chase the Ace.

"Assuming nothing is changed in terms of their application or their society status, because all of those things are taken into consideration according to the bylaw matrix, that would be the case," said Goucher, who declined to identify the other applicant.

The town will award only one Chase the Ace licence at a time.

The decision matrix awards points based on factors such as the ability to run such a lottery, benefits to the community or economic development, the number of people in an organization, and the number of user groups combining to submit an application.

Goucher said the process worked well under the new bylaw.

"The matrix system I think is a good system when you have more than one applicant," she said. "It's a system to look and assess how they stack up against each other."

Goucher said the town expects the AWG Host Society will do a good job in staging Chase the Ace.

"We'll look forward to seeing them get success," she said. "And hopefully that ace will remain in the deck for a little while to allow them to raise important funds."

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