Chase the Ace Sydney charities to get millions of dollars

Chase the Ace Sydney madeKathy McPherson a multimillionaire overnightand now organizers behind the event are crunching the numbers to determine how much money the charities will get.

Forty per cent of ticket sales from each Chase the Ace event goes to theAshbyLegion Branch 138. The legion will be giving a portion of itstaketo theHorizon Achievement Centreso it can build a new facility.

"We just need the time to be able to sort out expenses and really just finalize exactly what that breakdown will be and what it will look like," Chase the Ace Sydney organizerStephenTobintold CBC NewsSunday.

'Highest raffle lottery in Atlantic Canada'

"We're talking millions of dollars between the two. I think it's safe to say both organizations will be walking away with substantial amounts of money," he said.

"I think we earned the title of the highest raffle lottery jackpot in Atlantic Canada and I think we're even a contender for that title across the country. We're very, very, very pleased."

How the money will be spent

Tobin, who is also the business developmentofficer for theHorizon Achievement Centre, saysthe legionwill use the Chase the Ace money tolookat ways to improve its facility and will continue to give back to the community,

He says the Horizon Achievement Centre, a nonprofit organization thatoffers job training and employment services to adults with intellectual disabilities, is looking to build an $8-million new state of the art facility adjacent to Open Hearth Park.

An increased profile

Carol Pendergast, executive director of the Horizon Achievement Centre, spent Saturday volunteering at Chase the Ace atthe Joan HarrisPavilion. She says Chase the Ace helped highlight thework done bythe organization.

"We went into this opportunity with a chance to not just raise funds for the organizations, but to increase the profile of the campaign and the abilities of the people that we serve," said Pendergast.

'Laughter in the air'

"By all those accounts, it certainly has exceeded our expectations," she said, "The volunteers that were doing the thousands of thousands of tickets, selling and splitting, there was so much laughter in the air. It was amazing to me."

Pendergastsays the Horizon Achievement Centre managed to raise $250,000 internally. She says once the nonprofit finds outhow much it's getting from Chase the Ace, itsnext step will be to reach out to all three levels of government for more support.