After the chase is over

Horizon Achievement Centre relaunching building campaign

There’s no question Chase the Ace was a huge boon for the Horizon Achievement Centre.

As the Ashby legion’s charitable partner in popular lottery, the centre received $764,000 for its Beyond the Horizon Campaign — pushing it over half of its $2-million contribution toward a new $8-million facility on donated land near Open Hearth Park

However, the dizzying success of Chase the Ace, which ended exactly a year after it began when Kathy McPherson of Sydney drew the ace of spades to win a $2.9-million jackpot, also came with a downside: it left people with the impression that the Horizon Achievement Centre had reached its financial goals.

The centre will set out to clear up that misunderstanding — and regain some of the Chase the Ace momentum — today when it unveils a rebranded Beyond the Horizon Campaign.

“We want to bring people up to date on where we are because ever since Chase the Ace happened, everyone assumed we had all the money we needed,” said Ian McNeil, communications chair of the campaign. “And that’s what really put us over the 50 per cent of our share, but now we want to get this final bit done so we can get some construction going.”

The new campaign will include updated architectural plans, a new website and other marketing tools, as well a changed focus on who it solicits for money. There are also new financial targets to account for rising costs since the campaign was first launched in 2009.

“To build a new centre is a major investment. When you look at eight years ago, the estimate was $8 million; it’s more than that now,” said McNeil. “We’ve renewed conversations with our government partners and they’re very supportive and enthusiastic, and it helps that now we have over $1 million in the bank to put toward the construction — that allows them to take us seriously, so that’s a big help.”

The campaign will also remind people of how the centre changes the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities by providing them with vocational and employment training.

However, there is a significant waiting list and they’ve long-since outgrown the current building on Upper Prince Street that is home to client-staffed businesses that offer catering, mailing, billing, assembly and other services.

“The demand is increasing for services and programs for people who live in our community with mental and physical challenges,” said McNeil.

“We need to continue that work.” While it was a thrilling — and prosperous — ride, that work doesn’t include staging Chase the Ace.

“Really, I think we caught lightning in a bottle there. It was a remarkable thing and you can’t plan to duplicate, so we’re going to go about it in a more methodical fashion now,” said McNeil.

“Now is going to be targeted fundraising aimed at community groups and individuals to raise the remainder of what we need to raise.”