St. Cajetan Eyes Tech, Security Upgrades With Queen's Ransom

CHICAGO, IL — The summer suspense that was the Queen of Hearts raffle at McNally's centered around who would eventually find the queen and take home a jackpot share that eventually surpassed $1 million. But one lucky winner, St. Cajetan School, was known all along. And their luck rolled over and over and over.

Finally, on Aug. 23, someone picked the #42 card in the deck and the queen was at long last revealed. By then, the jackpot had surpassed $2.6 million and both the winner and St. Cajetan would each have some $1.3 million at their hands.

"It was quite a buzz every week," Michelle Nitsche, St. Cajetan principal, said. "It really took off. Something that was new to the neighborhood turned into a feverish following. People were hooked on going to McNally's and being a part of the drawing night and it always set up a good vibe going into the weekend."

Nitsche says the idea to hold a "Queen of Hearts" fundraiser dates back about two years, when ideas were thrown around about ways to raise enough money for an upgraded technology laboratory at the school. When the game actually began at McNally's last September, Nitsche said the goal was to raise a modest $25,000 to get that done.

"We first saw a buzz in the community when we hit that goal, then a huge surge in interest when the jackpot got to $500,000," she said.

The game got so popular, and the queen so hard to find, that the city of Chicago had to change ordinances to allow a higher payout in events such as these.

"We were a little worried that we may have to draw down because of the limit, but we worked closely with Alderman (Matt) O'Shea, who was great in supporting us and having the limit raised," Nitsche said. "We wouldn't have been able to get to the point we did without Matt."

Since the fundraiser began as a way to upgrade the tech lab, Nitsche says that is the first thing a portion of the jackpot went to fund. She says the school will also upgrade its security system with another portion of the money.

"Our goal is to get both of our buildings upgraded with better cameras and better entry and exit tracking," she said.

Another upgrade planned is for the school's science lab curriculum. Nitsche said that a grant helped supply an upgrade for the kindergarten through fifth grade students at the school and that the money from the Queen of Hearts game will help supplement that to include sixth, seventh and eighth grade curriculums.

Also, St. Cajetan parents will save a few hundred dollars apiece this year as the school was able to suspend two of their yearly fundraising campaigns because of the huge payout.

For the remaining amount, Nitsche says the school board plans to set up a committee with input from parents on the direction that would create the best use of the funds.

'Queen Fever' remains

The first McNally's Queen of Hearts game may be over, but not before setting a trend on the South Side. Now well into the school year, "queen fever" has spread throughout Beverly, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood and the nearby suburbs. And raffles at most neighborhood bars are helping other Catholic schools in the area.

For example, Cork & Kerry has linked with St. John Fisher, Bar 106 with St. Catherine of Alexandria and Clancy's Pub in Oak Lawn with St. Germaine. Another one gaining steam is the game at Dingers Pub, which will benefit Brother Rice High School.

"We were the first local one for sure," said Nitsche, who noted other Queen of Hearts fundraisers had been held prior in other parts of Chicagoland but none nearby.

"When we started out, no one around here really knew much about the Queen of Hearts game, so I'd say we are the pioneers of the raffle on the South Side."

And the winner was...

A dentist from west suburban Darien going as "Dan T."

Nitsche said the winner of the raffle is a dentist who was connected to the raffle through one his employees, a St. Cajetan parishioner and parent of an alum. A McNally's Facebook post made just after the winning ticket was pulled said Dan was humble when told of his good fortune.

"He (Dan) would drive to McNally's every week for about 13 weeks to play," Nitsche said.

Until next time

Nitsche says the Queen of Hearts committee that formed among St. Cajetan parents was vital in the success of the first drive.

"They truly did run the most successful fundraiser in school history," she said.

But could anything possibly top that? We'll see. The next Queen of Hearts game at McNally's is already underway with a $100,000 pot to start.

And St. Cajetan will split the pot with the winner of that one too.

Photo: Members of the St. Cajetan Queen of Hearts committee with the winner, From left: Steve Fill, Meghan Nolan, Suzy Sullivan, Dan T., Sandra Bartishell, Michelle Nitsche, Ft. Steve Dombrowski. Not pictured: Mike Cummings / by Kim Swanson, courtesy of St. Cajetan School