DEARBORN — Gas prices aren’t the only things rising in the city these days. So, too, is the jackpot total in one local charitable organization’s newest raffle.
Father Patrick O’Kelley Knights of Columbus Council 3860’s Queen of Spades fund-raiser is the organization’s first progressive raffle, offering potentially larger prizes with each weekly drawing. The minimum prize is $25.
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 envelope 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, writing their name, phone number and envelope number on each stub. One ticket is drawn every Friday night at 9:30 p.m. at the council lounge.
The longer it takes to pull the queen of spades, the larger the jackpot amount becomes. Winners get 70 percent of the prize money, while the rest is retained by the organization to fund its charitable efforts.
“Similar raffles elsewhere have paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars,” raffle co-chairman Kirt Trumbla said. “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 O’Kelley facility is at 23663 Park St. The lounge opens at 11 a.m. weekdays and at 5 p.m. Saturdays.
For information call (313) 278-5600.