DEARBORN, Michigan – Gas prices aren’t the only things rising in Dearborn these days. So, too, is the jackpot total in one local charitable organization’s newest raffle.
Fr. Patrick O’Kelly Knights of Columbus Council 3860’s “Queen of Spades” fundraiser is the organization’s first progressive raffle, offering potentially larger prizes with each weekly drawing. The minimum prize is $25, but that pales in comparison to what could be won by ticket holders.
“Similar raffles elsewhere have paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said raffle co-chairman Kirt Trumbla. “There is no telling how big of a payoff we’ll have as ticket sales rise and depending on when the queen is pulled.”
The “Queen of Spades” raffle is based on a standard 52-card playing deck, plus two jokers. The deck is shuffled, and then each card is dealt face down and placed in individual envelopes. Each of the envelopes is then shuffled again and all envelopes are numbered.
This method, known as “double blind,” ensures that no one knows where the major prize card is in the deck. Players pay $1 per ticket for a chance at a prize, writing their name, phone number and envelope number on each stub. One ticket is drawn every Friday night at 9:30 p.m. in the council’s lounge. The longer it takes to pull the queen of spades, the larger the jackpot amount becomes. Winners get 70% of the prize money, while 30% is retained for the Fr. O’Kelly organization to fund its charitable efforts.
“Hey, you can’t win if you don’t play,” Trumbla joked. “We’re selling tickets all the time, but especially during our Polish dinners on Tuesdays and our Friday fish fries.”
The raffle, the lounge, and twice-weekly dinners are open to the general public. The Fr. O’Kelly facility is located at 23663 Park Street in Dearborn, southwest of the Michigan Avenue/Outer Drive intersection.
The lounge opens weekdays at 11 a.m. and on Saturdays at 5 p.m. For information, call 313-278-5600.