GARRETTSVILLE: Fortune seekers were scattered around SkyLane Bowling, sitting at tables writing their names and telephone numbers on orange and pink tickets.
Orange for the big drawing.
Pink for the 50/50.
A steady stream of people filed past them and headed to the lounge, eager to flop down cash to buy their own from two women sitting behind a white fold-up table.
The hopefuls were single men, women, married couples and families from throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and even Canada, all drawn to a small bowling alley along state Route 82 in rural Portage County with dreams of becoming an instant millionaire.
For about a year, no one has won SkyLane’s weekly Queen of Hearts drawing.
As the jackpot, which now stands at $1.5 million, has grown, so have the number of people flocking to Garrettsville to buy tickets and attend the drawing. In recent weeks, an estimated 10,000 people have been showing up — five times the population of the village.
On Sunday at 6 p.m., one lucky ticket-holder may finally win it all — then again, maybe not.
Background
Aaron King, the co-owner and general manager of SkyLane and organizer of the raffle, copied the Queen of Hearts idea from Barry Dyngles, a barbecue restaurant in Austintown Township.
The restaurant saw one of its jackpots climb well over $1 million last year and attract a ton of attention and customers.
King figured he could replicate the success at his place.
He started holding the drawing on Tuesday nights, but the crowds overwhelmed a bowling league so he moved it to Sunday nights.
The Queen of Hearts game is legal, according to the state attorney general’s office, as long as all the money gathered is paid out.
King — who believes that he’s the only person in town not playing — said he takes no cut of the proceeds. But he benefits from beer and food sales.
Garrettsville, a village of about 2,300 people, also is reaping the benefits.
With people visiting the town every day to buy tickets, they’re also stopping by local restaurants and bars.
“It’s increased revenue for those businesses and gas stations — anybody who’s open on Sunday,” said Mayor Rick Patrick, who has been buying tickets.
The Silver Crik Saloon downtown always seems to be filled with out-of-towners now stopping in to have beer and talk about what they would do if they won.
The darkened bar, with high ceilings, no air conditioning and a plethora of Budweiser and Miller signs, is especially busy on Sundays.
“We love it,” 42-year-old bartender Kim Menken said.
Menken, who lives in nearby Hiram, admitted that she’s bought tickets.
As for what she’d do if she actually won?
“Pay my student loans off,” she said with a laugh.
Too busy
It’s difficult to conduct an interview with King.
He’s constantly interrupted.
By people asking him where they can buy tickets — despite two signs that direct folks to the lounge.
By people handing him tickets to toss into the two barrels behind the counter — one for orange tickets and one for pink.
By the bowlers getting or turning in shoes.
By the phone.
“Nobody is calling about bowling, that’s for sure,” King said.
The growing jackpot has been exhausting for him and his employees.
Given the fact that there were about 316,000 tickets sold for the last drawing, bowling alley employees are busy dealing with the raffle from the minute the doors open in the morning to when they are locked at night.
King has had to hire police officers to help with security — no, the $1.5 million isn’t on site, it’s in a bank — and buses to shuttle people from the parking lot at James A. Garfield High School to the bowling alley.
Then there’s the cleanup.
“This place looks like a rock concert when this thing ends. But it’s a lot of fun,” King said.
It’ll look like a country music concert took place this Sunday. Because one will.
Chris Higbee is scheduled to perform at 2:30 p.m.
Two weeks ago — SkyLane took the Labor Day weekend off — the drawing was held on the roof. This coming Sunday, King will stand on a tractor-trailer so everyone can see.
Asked to describe the scene on the day of the drawing, King responded with two words: “Absolute sardines.”
The village will ban parking along Silica Road and Liberty Street for the first time Sunday. While that will help local residents who are selling spots in their yards, that’s not the reason for the move.
“We’ve got to be able to get a firetruck or ambulance through,” Mayor Patrick said.
Don’t forget 50/50
King is a little torn about whether he wants someone to finally win this week.
On one hand, he likes the attention. On the other, he’s ready for a break.
He’s also proud that he’s been able to raise a ton of money for local charities.
While the jackpot might be the big attraction, the 50/50 raffle is a major deal, as well. The last winner walked away with more than $50,000.
King has been able to give away more than $180,000 to charity.
The JAG All Sports Boosters Stadium Fund has received the most at $54,433. This week, the 50/50 will benefit Wags 4 Warriors, which provides service dogs for veterans.
How it works
The Queen of Hearts game works this way: There are 54 playing cards, including jokers, placed facedown on a board.
Each card has a number on the back.
People buy a ticket for $5 or five for $20 — tickets were only $1 each before the jackpot reached $25,000.
Players write their name and a number corresponding to one of the cards on the ticket.
If their ticket is selected, the card with their chosen number is flipped over.
If the card is the Queen of Hearts, they walk away with 90 percent of the jackpot, while 10 percent is rolled over for the next drawing.
But if the person isn’t present, he or she gets only 50 percent of the jackpot — thus explaining the huge crowds that have showed up on Sundays.
If the card isn’t the Queen of Hearts, then the jackpot rolls over to the next week and the process starts all over again.
Right now, there are only five cards left with the numbers 5, 36, 39, 42 and 46, so the odds are getting greater that the ticket selected could take home the prize money. The actual odds of winning, however, will depend on the number of tickets sold.
The hopefuls
Roy and Karen Shesko of Lake Milton are banking on the Queen of Hearts being behind the No. 36 card.
They already have plans for the money if they win.
Some will go to charity.
Roy, 66, runs a program at the Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course in Lake Milton for people with special needs called Special Tees. The participants would get new clubs and shoes, he said.
After donating some, Karen, 56, said she wouldn’t mind getting a bigger boat.
Warren and Tia Olesinski of Mantua pooled money with eight other families and bought 50 tickets for Sunday’s drawing. They wrote “42” on every ticket.
Warren, 35, wants to pay off some of their home with any winnings. Tia, 33, would like to take a vacation.
“The main reason we play this is it’s better odds than the lottery,” Warren said as they wrote their names and numbers on tickets at a table inside the bowling alley.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.