$7,000 in proceeds from the recent Catch The Ace of Spades draw will benefit 7 local organizations.

The Catch The Ace Raffle Ticket Draw started last May and on Thursday cheques were handed to organizations like Nipissing Serenity Hospice, The Kiwanis Music Festival, The DARE program and the North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation.

Don Coutts of the Rotary Club of North Bay says this project has been unique because 6 service clubs have worked together. He says the big benefit is the money donated stays in the community.

“And that’s the big thing. People know it’s staying here and they know the organizations that are benefiting including the Salvation Army, The Gathering Place and The PADDLE Program.”

Megan Johnson is the program coordinator at PADDLE.

She says this isn’t about the money they’re getting but the emotional catalyst of different groups coming together.

“Everybody in the community wants to work together to help the charitable sector. We’re all struggling and we’re better together.”

Each of the 6 local service clubs donated proceeds from the raffle draw to an organization of their choice.

The clubs include the Rotary Club of North Bay, the Rotaract Club of North Bay-Nipissing, the North Bay Lions Club, Widdifield Lions Club, Kiwanis Club of Nipissing and the local chapter of the Association of Canadian Travellers.

Coutts says they’ve now had 2 rounds of Catch The Ace and the 3rd round starts Friday.

Alan Dell is the most recent winner as the jackpot hit $4,500 the night he won.

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