Chase-the-Ace returns tonight

Play resumes tonight for Charlottetown’s first large-scale Chase-the-Ace Lottery. With a current jackpot of $2,261 back on the table, one lucky Islander may extend their holiday cheer well into 2016.

Confederation Centre’s Chase-the-Ace for the Arts fundraiser for theatre improvements is held every Tuesday in Studio 1, beside Mavor’s, with this week’s draw being the one exception.

Ticket sales run 7-8:35 p.m. with full bar service and board games. The winning draw is held at 8:45 p.m.

For this Chase-the-Ace, weekly ticket sales are split with 50 per cent going to the fundraising charity, 30 per cent being pooled into the jackpot and 20 per cent going to the weekly winning ticket holder, who also gets the chance to draw a card from the deck.

As weeks go on without the Ace of Hearts being drawn, the jackpot grows and the deck diminishes. The centre has chosen an Anne of Green Gables-themed deck of cards, with the hearts suit as the jackpot trigger.

Proceeds from the lottery will be put towards the $5-million cost of phase two improvements to the Homburg Theatre. The theatre closed in December for four months of essential restoration work to the back-of-stage, including rigging, hanging, and fly systems, access and safety equipment, and needed infrastructure upgrades.

While the public areas of the 1,100-seat theatre recently underwent significant restorations, the stage facilities and backstage areas have not seen major enhancements since the Island’s largest theatre opened in 1964.

Full rules and regulations, as well as a full ticket price list, are at confederationcentre.com.